Losing streak ends with 3-2 Nats win

MILWAUKEE - Tanner Roark is through three scoreless innings against the Brewers. Now if only the offense could do something to help the right-hander.

Roark has allowed one hit - Jonathan Lucroy's leadoff single in the second - walked one and struck out three. Jonathan Villar drew a leadoff walk in the first, but was erased trying to steal on a strong throw from catcher Jose Lobaton.

The Nationals are still searching for their first hit. Ben Revere's sharp two-out grounder to second could have been scored a hit, but the official scorer ruled that Scooter Gennett's inability to handle it cleanly gave Revere the base. The error was the best ball struck by a National today. Washington's only other baserunner was immediately before Revere's smash when Roark drew a walk.

So Jimmy Nelson's no-hitter is still intact as we head to the fourth in a scoreless tie.

Update: Still no hits for the Nats through five innings, but they're getting baserunners. They've stranded six in the past three innings, and Bryce Harper just missed a grand slam, his fly ball to center caught in front of the fence for the third out. With two down in the fifth, Nelson walked Roark, Revere and Jayson Werth. But Harper left 'em loaded.

Update II: Anthony Rendon broke up the Brewers' combined no-hitter in the sixth, sending a one-out single through the box and into center field off Jacob Barnes, who replaced Nelson. But the joy was short-lived. With Clint Robinson batting, Rendon was thrown out trying to steal, and a video replay review requested by Nats manager Dusty Baker confirmed the call.

Nelson's high pitch count finally caught up to him. He went five hitless innings, with five walks and a strikeout. The righty threw 91 pitches, 53 for strikes.

After Rendon was gunned down, Robinson reached on an error and was stranded when Stephen Drew fanned swinging.

Update III: Jose Lobaton sent Barnes' first pitch in the seventh over the scoreboard in left, giving the Nats the game's first run and a 1-0 lead. What at first appeared to be a routine fly kept backing Ryan Braun up until it left the park. The opposite-field blast was Lobaton's first homer of the season.

Roark hit for himself, a sign he'll be back on the mound in the bottom of the inning.

Lobaton's homer was the Nats' 100th of the season, coming in the 76th game, the fastest they've ever reached that milestone. The previous mark was 93 games in 2006.

Update IV: Remember that second-inning grounder by Revere that was scored an error? It's just been changed to a hit - a correct call, by the way - so the no-hitter was long gone before Rendon's single in the sixth. That also changes Nelson's line to five innings of one-hit ball, still a pretty good effort.

Update V: Clint Robinson followed a two-out walk to Rendon in the eighth by slamming a two-run homer to right for a 3-0 lead.

Oliver Perez is on in relief of Roark, who scattered seven hits over seven shutout innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. Roark threw 95 pitches, 63 strikes.

Update VI: The Nats needed three pitchers to get through the eighth, but the Brewers got a run back on Braun's one-out triple and a run-scoring groundout by Jonathan Lucroy, both off Blake Treinen. After Treinen gave up a single to Chris Carter, Shawn Kelley came in to get the final out of the inning.

Kelley got the final four outs, but gave up a pinch-hit homer to Martin Maldonado in the ninth and a sun-aided triple to Villar. The losing streak is over. Nats win 3-2.