'Clawing' Brewers carry streak into series with struggling Nationals

Behind right-hander Quinn Priester, the Milwaukee Brewers will look to continue their recent momentum when they host the Washington Nationals on Friday night in the opener of the teams' final series before the All-Star break.

Priester (6-2, 3.59 ERA) will oppose left-hander Mitchell Parker (5-9, 4.72).

The Nationals lost at St. Louis 8-1 on Thursday, dropping to 1-2 under interim manager Miguel Cairo, who took over after longtime manager Dave Martinez was fired on Sunday.

Washington, which has lost five of its past six games, managed just two hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings against Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas.

"We've just got to stay a little more patient, looking for your pitch to hit," Cairo said afterward. "But nothing we can do. It's already in the past. We've got to move on. We've got to go tomorrow to Milwaukee and try to go 1-0 again."

The Brewers were off Thursday after completing their first-ever three-game sweep of the Dodgers in Milwaukee, rallying for 3-2 victory on Wednesday on Jackson Chourio's walkoff single in the 10th inning. Teammate Andrew Vaughn, called up from Triple-A Nashville, tied it 2l with a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning.

Milwaukee, which has won four games in a row to improve to a season-high 13 games above .500, outscored the Dodgers 15-4 in the series, winning Wednesday without an extra-base hit.

"I really like a lot of this team, I really do," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said afterward. "I really like how they keep just grabbing their identity and playing that way. We're going to keep coming after you. We keep clawing away."

Priester, acquired in a trade with Boston in early April, has settled into the Brewers' rotation. His six victories match his total in 21 appearances over his first two seasons.

Priester has not lost in nine starts since May 13. He was 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA in five starts in June. He allowed five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings Friday in his most recent start but did not get a decision in a 6-5 win at Miami.

Vaughn, acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a trade for pitcher Aaron Civale in mid-June, was called up when first baseman Rhys Hoskins suffered a thumb injury expected to sideline him for about six weeks. In his first three games against the Dodgers, Vaughn was 3-for-6 with at least one RBI in each game, including a three-run homer in the series opener in his first at-bat with the Brewers.

Parker, meanwhile, won three of his first four decisions this season, sitting at 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA at the end of April. He has won just once in eight starts since a home win against Atlanta on May 20.

Parker is 1-5 with a 4.82 ERA over his last seven starts, giving up 43 hits in 37 1/3 innings. He was victimized by sloppy defense in his last start, allowing nine runs, but only four earned, in six innings. He took the loss in a 10-3 home defeat to Boston on Saturday.

Parker is 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in two career starts against Milwaukee, both last season.