Washington Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa had a mega day at the plate, and Livan Hernandez pitched another "Hernandez-esque" seven innings to help the Nationals take down the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 at Nationals Park.
With the score deadlocked at 1 in the seventh inning and the bases loaded, Espinosa crushed a Marco Estrada pitch well out of reach of a diving Ryan Braun, clearing the bases with a triple. Add on the three-run homerun he had in Game 1 of the doubleheader and Espinosa had six RBIs on the day. Hernandez and Estrada were stuck in a pitcher's duel for most of the day, and the only kink in Hernandez's performance came in the top of the fourth when Prince Fielder scored on a Yuniesky Betancourt single.
Third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. hit a solo homerun in the second inning, and In the eighth, first baseman Adam LaRoche took a 2-2 pitch from Zach Braddock and put it over the right-field wall over the visitors scoreboard. In the two games of the doubleheader, five different Nationals players used the longball to get the job done. Ivan Rodriguez, Ian Desmond and Espinosa each hit one in Game 1.
The Nats completed the doubleheader and three game sweep of the Brew Crew, which saw the return of three former Nationals: catcher Wil NIeves, pitcher Marco Estrada and center fielder Nyjer Morgan to D.C. None of them had much of an impact on the games themselves. Morgan never made an appearance in the three games due to a bruised thigh.
The Nationals have a well deserved off-day on Monday before they face the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night in St. Louis. Currently the Nationals are 8-7 and in third place in the NL East.