MILWAUKEE _ In Josh Hader's switch from standout starting pitcher in the minors to reliever in the majors, there has been a learning curve for both Hader and manager Craig Counsell.
After initially being careful with Hader's usage, in both frequency and situation, Counsell became more aggressive of late. Much of that had to do with Hader's dominance, including striking out the side in the eighth inning Friday night in a tense 1-0 victory.
Pitching for only the second time on consecutive nights, Hader's stuff was not as good Saturday night, either in velocity or location. The Washington Nationals made him pay for it, scoring two runs in the eighth to come back for a 3-2 triumph at Miller Park.
The Brewers fell 4{ games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central and two behind Colorado for the second wild-card berth, pending the Rockies' late game against Arizona.
Hader, who entered the game with a 1.39 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 321/3 innings, saw his first pitch, a 93-mph fastball, crushed to left by Michael Taylor for a home run. It was only the second homer off Hader in his 25 outings in the majors.
Trea Turner delivered the decisive blow with an RBI double, ripping into a 92-mph fastball. Hader entered the game averaging 94.2 mph on his fastball this season, according to FanGraphs.
The late rally allowed the Nationals to survive a brilliant outing by Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff, making only his fourth start in the majors and first since coming back from a short stint in the minors.
The Brewers caught a break when Washington ace Max Scherzer, who retired the first nine batters, departed after five innings with a leg issue. At that point, it was a 1-1 game and the Nationals' best pitcher was done for the night.
Neither pitcher allowed a hit through the first three innings, and the duel was on. The Nationals broke through against Woodruff in the fourth after Howie Kendrick led off with a walk and stole second base.
Daniel Murphy followed with a single to center that moved Kendrick to third, and when Murphy spotted second base unoccupied and the Brewers taking their time getting the ball in, he tried to take another base. Shortstop Eric Sogard beat him to the bag, however, and Murphy tried hurdling over him without success.
With the Brewers playing their infield in, Ryan Zimmerman worked the count to 3-2 and banged a flat slider through the left side for a run-scoring single.
The Brewers also broke through for a run in the fourth after Scherzer retired the first nine batters. Sogard led off with a single to center and raced around to score when Eric Thames yanked a double into the right-field corner.
Scherzer, bothered by left leg soreness after taking a comebacker from Travis Shaw off his calf in the first, stopped the damage there despite Neil Walker drawing a one-out walk. Scherzer limped noticeably and didn't try to run out a grounder to short in the fifth but pitched the bottom of the inning before departing.
Veteran lefty Oliver Perez came on to pitch the Brewers' sixth and had two outs and none on when he walked Walker. Stephen Vogt chopped a ball over Zimmerman at first and Murphy ranged over from second and deflected it into foul territory. When right fielder Jayson Werth misplayed the carom off the side wall, Walker came all the way around from first on what was scored a double and E-9.
