Rutledge makes first start of the season, Nationals beat the Brewers to end 5-game losing streak

MILWAUKEE -- Jackson Rutledge struck out six in his first major league start of the season, Jesse Winker hit his 11th home run and the Washington Nationals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 on Friday night to end a five-game losing streak.

Rutledge, Washington’s first-round pick in 2019 whose only other appearance this season was one inning during a May 14 doubleheader, held Milwaukee to three hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings.

Robert Garcia (1-3) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the victory, and Kyle Finnegan struck out two in the ninth for his 24th save.

“It was outstanding,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said about Garcia. “He did a good job. His fastball was electric today. He pitched really, really well.”

The Nationals staked Rutledge to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Winker’s RBI double and added two more in the fourth before the Brewers got on the board with two in the bottom half.

Winker got one of those runs back in the fifth when he sent a 94.2 mph fastball from right-hander Freddy Peralta 403 feet to right-center.

“It’s great, especially on the road,” Winker said. “Jackson pitched well, all the guys that came in behind him did great and we made a bunch of great defensive plays. It was a really good win.”

Rutledge started four games last season for the Nationals, going 1-1.

Peralta (6-5) surrendered four of Washington’s five runs on 10 hits while striking out six over five innings.

“Freddy made a few mistakes but generally, I thought he threw the ball good,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.

The NL Central-leading Brewers have dropped two in a row and six of their last eight.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: LHP Jose A. Ferrer (teres major strain) will pitch in back-to-back games this weekend as he continues his minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg. Martinez said the team will decide Ferrer’s next steps during the All-Star break.

Brewers: INF Joey Ortiz (neck) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and in the starting lineup Friday night. Ortiz had been sidelined since an 0-for-5 showing at Colorado on July 1. … LHP DL Hall (knee) is expected to rejoin the team in the next few days despite taking a comebacker off the forearm during his last minor league rehab start at Triple-A Nashville.

UP NEXT

LHP Dallas Keuchel (0-0, 4.61 ERA) was set to start for Milwaukee on Saturday against LHP Mitchell Parker (5-5, 3.44).

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This story has been corrected to show that Friday night was Jackson Rutledge's first major league start of the season, not his first ever. He started four games last season.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb