MLB roundup: Bregman hits three homers, Cubs beat Nationals

WASHINGTON — Alex Bregman hit three homers in a game for the first time and drove in a career-high seven runs as the Chicago Cubs crushed the Washington Nationals 12-6 on Wednesday.

Dansby Swanson also went deep for Chicago, which pulled within three games of NL Central-leading Milwaukee. The Cubs have won eight of nine and are a season-high 21 games over .500 at 71-50.

Abimelec Ortiz and José Tena homered, and Daylen Lile had three RBIs for Washington.

In the fifth, Bregman ripped a sweeper from Jake Bird into the visitors’ bullpen in left for a three-run shot to cap the Cubs’ four-run inning.

Swanson hit a go-ahead RBI double against Tom Cosgrove (0-2) in the sixth. Two batters later, Seiya Suzuki delivered a two-run single off Yovanny Cruz before Bregman pulled a two-run shot to left off the rookie to make it 9-4.

The three-time All-Star added a two-run drive off Trevor Williams into the Chicago bullpen in the eighth. Swanson was the last Cub with three homers in a game, doing so July 1 against San Diego.

It was Bregman’s ninth multi-homer game and first since March 29, when he did it at home against the Nationals. The 32-year-old has 16 homers in his first season with Chicago.

Cubs starter David Peterson (7-7) allowed four runs --- three earned --- while striking out six over five innings.

SAN DIEGO — Jackson Merrill hit a tying sacrifice fly in the 11th inning and Luis Campusano followed with a two-out single to bring in Sun-Mung Song from second base as San Diego Padres beat MLB-leading Milwaukee Brewers for a three-game sweep.

The surging Padres have won five straight and 15 of 19 to move into the National League’s second wild-card spot ahead of Arizona and Philadelphia.

Gary Sánchez doubled home the go-ahead run for Milwaukee off Adrian Morejon (9-2) in the top of the 11th.

Merrill tied it when his sac fly off Antonio Senzatela (9-4) brought in automatic runner Jake Cronenworth. Song, who pinch ran after Ty France was hit by a pitch, stole second before Campusano punched an opposite-field single to right. Luis Lara’s throw home was high, allowing Song to slide in headfirst with the winning run.

The Padres tied the game at 2 with two outs in the eighth when Fernando Tatis Jr. raced around from second base to score on Cronenworth’s infield single.

Cronenworth hit a bouncer to first baseman Jake Bauers, who flipped it to reliever Aaron Ashby but he was late covering first and Cronenworth beat him to the bag for an RBI single. Ashby turned toward home but didn’t make a throw as Tatis sprinted in with the tying run.