The Milwaukee Brewers suffered a 7-3 loss to the Washington Nationals on Friday after allowing a four-run ninth inning. After the game, manager Pat Murphy talked about what went wrong.

“I think this is the team that, you know, has discovered the same thing that we have,” Murphy said. “You know, that you can do little things to play offense and they did a great job. We didn't execute defensively. We didn't execute offensively, defensively.

“First inning, you know, we didn't get it done,” he added. “Ash settled down after that. Patrick did a nice job. But Zerpa came in in a big situation, did great. He was, you know, our best player tonight. And, you know, Abner was good.”

The Brewers chose to go with Aaron Ashby as an opener and then have the original starter, Chad Patrick, take the mound next. Ashby gave up two earned runs in the first inning that put the Brewers behind early. 

Milwaukee was able to retake the lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a three-run home run by Jake Bauers, and Patrick replaced Ashby in the top of the third inning. After solid outings by Patrick, Angel Zerpa and Abner Uribe, closer Trevor Megill let the game get away from him in the top of the ninth.

“Megill didn't get the job done,” Murphy said. “He didn't field his position, didn't get the job done. And, yeah, we weren't good in really any of the facets tonight.”

Megill opened the ninth by hitting CJ Abrams with a pitch before Washington began to rack up runs via a small-ball approach consisting of bunts and an RBI single. With the Brewers trailing 6-3, Megill was replaced by Easton McGee.

Murphy placed the blame both on Megill and the infield behind him for not executing defensively on the Nationals’ bunts.

“The first bunt, Rengifo's got to be there and make the play,” Murphy said. “There's no excuse for that. It's the ninth inning, you've got to play closer than that. He wasn't in the right position. And he didn't get there quick enough, knowing the runner's speed.

"That's just a — it wasn't even a good bunt, you know? So, it's like, that has to be fielded,” Murphy added. “The next bunt's right at the pitcher, you know what I mean? That's got to be fielded. So, those things have to be done. And then the next bunt, too. So there's three balls that need to be fielded.”

Megill was assessed the losing decision and an error.

“Those balls need to get fielded,” Murphy continued. “I don't care how you fall off the mound, you know what I mean? If you can't field the bunt right at you, then that's, you know, not effective.”

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