WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals were expected to be in the midst of a pennant race as August wound down. Instead it is the Milwaukee Brewers who are in the running for a playoff spot.More Brewers coverageBrewers Final Pitch: Chacin dominates mound in Game 3 of NLCSChacin http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-dylan-bundy-jersey , Brewers blank Dodgers to take 2-1 lead in NLCSDespite struggles, No. 23 Badgers still have hope in Big TenStrong winds could be factor for Brewers, Dodgers in NLCS Game 3Photos of the Week: 10/7/18 – 10/13/18Milwaukee comes to Washington for three games beginning Friday after beating the Cincinnati Reds for the second straight day on Thursday.The Brewers (75-60) got a Lorenzo Cain homer in the 11th inning for a 2-1 win that left them a half-game behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the top wild-card spot in the National League. Milwaukee is five games behind first-place Chicago in the National League Central.Thursday’s win followed Milwaukee’s 13-12 victory in a 10-inning slugfest on Wednesday night.“I think the offense looked tired,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell told mlb.com after Thursday’s win, “but you grind through it and you play good defense. We made pitches and Lo Cain got the big hit.”Washington (67-67) begins a 10-game homestand against NL Central entries Milwaukee, St. Louis and Chicago while trying to remain in the playoff hunt coming off a 3-3 road trip. The Nationals are 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Braves in the NL East and nearly as far back in the wild-card race with four teams ahead of them for the No. 2 spot.Brewers right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (13-5, 3.61 ERA) opposes right-hander Tanner Roark (8-13 Jim Palmer Jersey , 3.95) in Friday’s opener.Roark has been a different pitcher since the All-Star break, stepping up when the Nationals needed someone to back up ace Max Scherzer. Roark is 5-1 with a 1.61 ERA in his last seven starts. During that stretch, he has struck out 37 batters and walked five.“You really just feel unhittable,” a grinning Roark recently told the Washington Post. “You feel like each pitch that you’re about to throw is untouchable, and that’s what you want as a pitcher.”He started that streak in Milwaukee when he blanked the Brewers for eight innings in a July 25 win. Roark struck out 11 and walked only one.Last time out he was an unlucky loser against the Mets, allowing one run and four hits in six innings of a 3-0 Mets win.Roark entered the All-Star break 3-12 — winless since June 6 — with a 4.87 ERA.“It’s been awesome,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez told the Post regarding Roark’s sharp turnaround. “Every time he goes out there we have a chance to win ballgames.”Roark is 4-1 with a 2.23 ERA in seven appearances (six starts) in his career versus the Brewers.Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich is 9-for-36 (.250) against Roark. Jonathan Schoop is 2-for-4 and both hits are homers.Chacin has also enjoyed a strong August. After allowing eight earned runs to the Dodgers on Aug. 2 http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-mark-trumbo-jersey , he has surrendered just six earned runs while going 3-1 over his last four starts.“We talked in spring training that once Yelich and Cain came aboard, we kind of forgot about Chac铆n, and how important he can be,” Counsell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He’s ended up being really important.”The Brewers are 19-9 in games Chacin has started. He’s coming off a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he gave up three earned runs in six innings.Chacin beat the Nationals on July 23. He pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing a run and two hits while striking out nine without a walk. In his career, he’s 4-2 with a 3.06 ERA in nine starts against Washington.Anthony Rendon is 4-for-14 (.286) versus Chacin, and Adam Eaton is 3-or-11 (.273) and Bryce Harper 0-for-6. The Washington Nationals reportedly offered Bryce Harper a 10-year $300 million contract Chris Tillman Jersey , but according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, that was only the first offer made by GM Mike Rizzo and the front office.According to Bowden, Washington actually offered "much more than the $300 million" that was thrown around by insiders. How much more lucrative the contract was is unknown, but it obviously wasn't enough to retain the 2015 National League MVP.Harper - who is expected to earn at least $350 million in his next deal - remains unsigned, along with many of the other top free agents. All-Stars Manny Machado, Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel are among the big names that continue to await a new contract.advertisingThe Nationals appear to be moving on from Harper at this point, as the Lerner family ownership emphasized before they couldn't go beyond their final offer to him. Washington already made one big splash in free agency Eddie Murray Jersey , signing starting pitcher Patrick Corbin to a six-year deal worth $140 million.Harper finished 2018 with 34 home runs, 100 RBI, a .249 batting average and .889 OPS -聽considerably below聽his career totals of .279 and .900, respectively. But Harper remains an elite power hitter and would simply be a huge money draw to whichever team signs him.advertising Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY SportsHarper is a six-time All-Star and won the aforementioned NL MVP award in 2015. He's been one of the most marketed and popular athletes since his sensational 2012 rookie season - where Harper helped Washington reach the postseason for the first time since relocating from Montreal.Though he remains unsigned, Harper is set to land the richest contract in MLB history. Right now, Giancarlo Stanton's聽$325 million deal signed with the Miami Marlins in 2014 remains the largest ever.What This MeansThe Nationals simply decided that they can't pour all of their money into one superstar player, instead using the cash to address multiple areas on the roster. As good as Harper is Kevin Gausman Jersey , few players in baseball are worthy of a $350 million contract. Even the Nationals don't think a former MVP and young superstar is worth it.advertising