Brewers knock Gonzalez out after three innings, Nats fall 6-5

MILWAUKEE - Gio Gonzalez usually has good first innings. So today's opening-inning effort by the struggling left-hander was a little out of the ordinary. Or was it, considering that the Nationals are mired in a six-game losing streak.

Gonzalez, who has posted a 2.57 first-inning ERA in his previous 14 starts this season, trailed 3-0 after facing five batters. He surrendered an infield single to Jonathan Villar and a single to left by Aaron Hill before getting two outs. On the verge of getting out of the inning, Gonzalez served up a fat 3-1 pitch to Chris Carter, who mashed it into the left field stands for his 19th homer.

The Nationals got a run back in the second when Daniel Murphy led off with a triple off the wall in right, then scored when Wilson Ramos shot a single to right.

Gonzalez ran into more trouble in the second. Keon Broxton drew a one-out walk, moved to second on Matt Garza's sacrifice bunt and scored on Villar's single up the middle off the glove of second baseman Murphy for a 4-1 lead. Villar stole second and tried to score on Hill's single to left, but Jayson Werth's throw cut him down for the third out, thanks to a nice standing sweep tag by Ramos.

It's Negro Leagues Tribute Day at Miller Park, and several former Negro Leagues players were honored before the game, with Nats skipper Dusty Baker seeking them out following the pregame ceremony to shake their hands. The Nats are wearing Homestead Grays uniforms - and rocking the high socks - while the Brewers are outfitted in 1923 Milwaukee Bears uniforms, marking that club's lone season in the Negro National League.

Update: Gonzalez has only himself to thank for a two-run third that upped the Brewers lead to 6-1. He started off the frame by hitting Ryan Braun in the lower leg, then getting Carter on the front foot with a looping curve. Hernan Perez dumped a fly ball into the right field corner that bounced into the stands for a run-scoring ground rule double, leaving runners at second and third. With the infield in, Scooter Gennett bounced a ball to Murphy at second, but his charging off-balance throw was too late to catch Carter.

Update II: The Nationals got two runs back in the fourth. Ryan Zimmerman drew a leadoff walk and Braun lost Anthony Rendon's fly ball to left in the sun for a gift double. Espinosa tried to drag a bunt to second, but was caught in what was curiously called a sacrifice that scored Zimmerman and advanced Rendon. Clint Robinson pinch-hit for Gonzalez and lifted a fly ball to right, but Rendon slid under Jonathan Lucroy's tag off Perez's throw.

Gonzalez allowed six runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts over six innings. He threw 69 pitches, 43 for strikes.

Update III: The Nats continue to chip away at the deficit, scoring once in the sixth to make it a 6-4 game. With runners on the corners, Espinosa hit a pinch-hit sac fly. Matt Belisle is on to work the sixth for the Nats.

Update IV: Zimmerman delivered a bases-loaded sac fly - the Nats' third of the game, matching a season high - and the Brewers lead has been shaved to a single run in the seventh. It's now 6-5.

Update V: Jeremy Jeffress worked around a leadoff single by Harper in the ninth, getting Ramos to ground into a game-ending 5-4-3 double play. Brewers 6, Nats 5.