WASHINGTON (AP) -- Travis Shaw, Eric Thames and Manny Pina homered, Zach Davies tossed 7 2/3 shutout innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Washington Nationals 8-0 on Tuesday night.
Shaw's three-run blast highlighted a four-run fourth inning. Thames and Pina went back-to-back off Edwin Jackson (1-1) in the fifth for the NL Central-leading Brewers. Milwaukee, which had lost six of seven to open its 10-game road trip, maintained a half-game lead over the Chicago Cubs.
Davies (12-4) allowed three hits and struck out seven to win his fifth consecutive decision. He drove in the Brewers' first run when he bunted toward the mound with runners on first and third in the second inning and Pina raced home ahead of Jackson's throw.
Bryce Harper struck out twice for the NL East-leading Nationals, but his eighth-inning double off Oliver Drake extended his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games. Harper is batting .426 (29 for 68) during his streak.
Jackson, who made 31 starts for Washington in 2012, began his second stint with the club a week ago with seven solid innings in a win over the Angels. In his encore performance, Jackson allowed seven runs -- three earned -- in five innings.
After Orlando Arcia's one-out single in the fourth, Davies pushed his sacrifice bunt toward first base and reached on Ryan Zimmerman's wild throw. Ryan Braun's RBI single and Shaw's homer extended Milwaukee's lead to 5-0. All four runs in the inning were unearned.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: RHP Brandon Woodruff (hamstring) was reinstated from the disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs. Woodruff allowed eight runs -- four earned -- and five hits in two-thirds of an inning Monday during a rehab start.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (8-5, 3.43 ERA) is 1-1 with a 5.28 ERA in three career starts against Washington.
Nationals: LHP Gio Gonzalez (8-5, 2,83) has a 2.67 ERA in four July starts, but is 1-3 in those appearances.
