MILWAUKEE (AP) — Domingo Santana homered twice, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat Washington 7-2 Sunday to take three of four games from the Nationals.
Brewers starter Brent Suter, who had not pitched for the Milwaukee since Aug. 12 because of left rotator cuff inflammation, allowed two hits in three scoreless innings and left after 43 pitches.
Jeremy Jeffress (2-0), Jacob Barnes and Anthony Swarzak combined for five hitless innings before Junior Guerra completed the three-hitter but gave up a two-run homer to Ryan Zimmerman in the ninth.
Without injured star Bryce Harper since mid-August, the Nationals stumbled a bit following a four-game winning streak against the New York Mets and Miami, scoring only eight runs in the four games against the Brewers. The only team in the NL East above .500, Washington (82-54) maintained a 15-game lead over the second-place Marlins.
Milwaukee began the day 1½ games behind Colorado for the NL's second wild card.
Edwin Jackson (5-4) gave up five runs — four earned — and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, dropping to 6-9 against the Brewers.
Santana hit a solo homer in the second, a 435-foot drive over Milwaukee's bullpen. The Brewers opened a 4-0 lead in the fourth on Ryan Braun's RBI double and Santana's two-run homer, which raised his season total to 24.
Travis Shaw hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Milwaukee increased the lead to 7-0 in the eighth on Jose Lobaton's based-loaded passed ball and Manny Pina's sacrifice fly.
