Willy Adames powers Brewers past Nationals

Willy Adames went 4-for-4 with four RBIs to help the host Milwaukee Brewers avoid a sweep with a 9-3 win against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

Brewers relief pitcher Colin Rea (9-3), who stepped in for opener Rob Zastryzny in the second, went 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and fanning seven.

Washington starter Jake Irvin (7-8) allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits through four innings.

With Brice Turang on, Adames made it 9-3 in the eighth with a two-out home run to left-center field.

After the Nationals cut into the lead in the top of the fourth, the Brewers extended their lead in the bottom half.

A walk to Jackson Chourio opened the inning and Garrett Mitchell followed with a two-run shot 420 feet to center to push it to 6-2.

William Contreras and Christian Yelich each drew a one-out walk in consecutive at-bats. Adames drove in Contreras for a 7-2 lead with a single to right.

Limited to two hits over the next three innings, C.J. Abrams led off the eighth for Washington with a triple and scored when James Wood singled, cutting it to 7-3.

Washington had earlier narrowed it to 4-2 when Lane Thomas, who hit a lead-off single, scored on a Juan Yepez single.

In the third, Contreras belted a one-out home run to center field to put Milwaukee ahead 2-1. After Yelich grounded out, Adames and Sal Frelick each singled. The pair scored when Joey Ortiz singled to right field, for a 4-1 advantage.

The Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the first. Yelich knocked a two-out double and Adames followed with a ground-rule double to right-center field, bringing in Yelich.

The Nationals tied it in the second. Yepez, the first batter to face Rea, drew a walk, stole second, and then scored on Ildemaro Vargas’ two-out single.

Zastryzny was perfect through 1 1/3 innings, with one strikeout.

Yepez went 2-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.

–Field Level Media