Brewers: Rookie Joe Ross stymies Crew again
By Phil Watson
Rookie right-hander Joe Ross stumped the Milwaukee Brewers two months ago in a start at Miller Park and it appears the Brewers are no closer to solving the kid after a 6-1 loss to the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park Saturday night.
Ross (4-5) held Milwaukee to a run on six hits in seven innings, striking out four and allowing only a home run to Khris Davis in the seventh inning.
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“He’s been one of our toughest matchups this year,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com of Ross. “He reminds me of Jimmy Nelson, really—a young pitcher who seems to be getting better as the season goes along. He’s got a very good slider. He gave us trouble.”
Milwaukee had their own rookie right-hander on the mound in Taylor Jungmann (7-5) and he struggled, allowing five runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in just four innings.
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Jungmann served up a homer to Michael Taylor in the second inning, the first long ball he had allowed in 52.2 innings.
Davis’ homer was his 15th of the season and his eighth since Aug. 6, tied for the most in the majors this month.
“His aggressiveness on the first pitch is paying off, for sure,” Counsell told MLB.com. “He’s picking his spots with that. I think that always gives the pitcher something to think about and I think it makes Khris more dangerous to game plan for.”
Davis isn’t sure what sparked his power surge.
“But that’s kind of my game,” Davis said. “I’ve known that. It’s kind of my personality, being aggressive. I should be aggressive out there.”
Shane Peterson, back in center field, made a terrific play in the first inning, diving to snare a liner in the gap by Bryce Harper and throwing to third in time to get Jayson Werth, who tagged up when he saw Peterson go to the ground.
“The play in the first, that’s a highlight play,” Counsell told MLB.com. “That was a heck of a play and then to get the runner tagging up made it even better. You’re thinking that could be the huge play in the game, a play that could win you a game.”
Taylor’s two-run homer in the bottom of the second put the Nationals (61-61) on top and Washington got to Jungmann for three more tallies in the fourth on an RBI single by Wilson Ramos, an RBI single by Werth and a run-scoring double by Anthony Rendon.
Werth was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Rendon’s hit, with Davis’ relaying to Jean Segura, who fired to Jonathan Lucroy for the tag at the plate.
The Brewers (53-71) got their lone run on Davis’ blast in the seventh and Rendon matched it with a homer off right-hander David Goforth in the bottom of the inning.
Segura was 2-for-4 for Milwaukee and Domingo Santana came off the bench for a pinch-hit double in the ninth.
Goforth was charged with a run on two hits in 2.1 innings, striking out three, and left-hander Cesar Jimenez made his debut for the Brewers after being claimed on waivers Friday from the Philadelphia Phillies, going 1.2 innings and allowing two hits with two strikeouts.
Milwaukee will send right-hander Matt Garza (6-13, 4.98 ERA) to the hill Sunday at 12:35 p.m. Central to try to nail down a win in the series. He’ll face Wisconsin native Jordan Zimmermann (9-8, 3.44).
Garza has never beaten the Nationals, going 0-3 in seven career starts with a 6.27 ERA and 1.667 WHIP in 33 innings, striking out 38.
He gave up five runs—just one earned—in six innings in a no-decision on June 11 at Miller Park, allowing seven hits and striking out seven in a game the Brewers won 6-5.
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He was hit hard his last time out, giving up five runs on eight hits in five innings with two strikeouts in a 6-2 loss to the Miami Marlins at Miller Park on Monday.
Zimmermann, a graduate of Auburndale High School before pitching at UW-Stevens Point—has fared well against his homestate team, going 4-1 against Milwaukee in six career starts with a 3.71 ERA and 1.382 WHIP in 34 innings, striking out 36.
His first loss to the Brewers was on June 12 at Miller Park, when he was pounded for six runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings with a walk and four strikeouts in an 8-4 Milwaukee win.
He was shaky his last time out, but earned a win after allowing six runs—four earned—on nine hits in six innings of a 15-6 win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, walking one and fanning six.
The Brewers have an off-day Monday before opening at two-game series against the Cleveland Indians Tuesday at Progressive Field.
Next: Cotts Traded To Twins, Jimenez Claimed Off Waivers