Ailing Guillen clutch for Nats

“You go out there in that dugout during the game, and it doesn’t look like we’re pressured,” said second baseman Jose Vidro, whose sixth-inning homer was his first since April20. “We didn’t get the big hits the last couple of weeks. Tonight, we did it. Hopefully, it’s a start.”

There were a few moments of trepidation, though, when it looked like Washington’s skid might continue.

Robinson and Co. had to be wondering about that in the sixth, when Loaiza (6-5) struck out Damian Miller apparently to end the inning, only to watch the ball squirt through catcher Gary Bennett’s legs. Miller reached first on the wild pitch, and Geoff Jenkins sauntered in from third with the tying run.

“That’s one of those things that’s like one out of 100 that can happen,” Loaiza said. “I actually told [teammate John] Patterson, ‘There goes another no-decision for me.’”

But the Nationals weren’t done yet. Baerga led off the seventh with a single, Church walked and the two moved up a base on Bottalico’s wild pitch.

After Vidro grounded out, Guillen came up with an open base in front of him and Preston Wilson on deck. Milwaukee manager Ned Yost, though, elected to pitch to the slumping cleanup hitter, and he paid the price.

As he has done so many times this season, Guillen came through with the game on the line.

“I was amazed that they didn’t walk him, and I was happy that they didn’t, because I always feel like this guy is going to rise to the occasion,” Robinson said. “He does more often than not.”