The Washington Nationals' home struggles continued Friday night as they dropped the first game of their six-game homestand, falling 6-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers at Nationals Park.

Starting pitcher Jake Irvin labored through five innings, surrendering six hits and three earned runs while walking four batters. The right-hander did manage five strikeouts but fell to 1-4 on the season as the Nationals' offense went silent.

Washington's bats were virtually nonexistent, managing just two hits while striking out 13 times as a team. James Wood was one of two Nationals hitters who struck out twice in the losing effort, emblematic of a lineup that couldn't find any rhythm against Brewers pitching.

The Brewers struck early and in unusual fashion. After Irvin allowed a leadoff double in the first inning, a wild pitch got past catcher Drew Millas, who appeared unaware the ball had escaped him. That miscue allowed the Brewers' leadoff man to score, putting Washington in an early hole.

Milwaukee extended its lead in the third inning with an RBI single that drove in one of two batters Irvin had walked, making it 2-0. That proved to be more than enough run support against the Nationals' stagnant offense.

Irvin's final inning proved costly as three consecutive batters reached base before a two-out double into right field pushed the Brewers' lead to 4-0.

The Nationals finally showed signs of life in the seventh inning. CJ Abrams drew a walk, and Daylen Lile followed with a double into left field, putting runners on the corners. Brady House then delivered a sacrifice ground ball to drive in Washington's first and only run of the game.

Reliever Andre Granillo entered in the eighth inning, but the Brewers tacked on two more runs to seal the 6-1 victory.

The loss drops the Nationals to 15-18 overall and a dismal 3-11 at Nationals Park in 2026. Washington will look to bounce back in game two of the series on Saturday, hoping to turn around a homestand that's gotten off to a rough start.