Jesus Aguilar broke a seventh-inning tie with a two-out, two-run double Friday night, allowing the Milwaukee Brewers to overtake the San Francisco Giants 4-2 in the opener of a three-game series in Milwaukee.

The hard-fought win allowed the Brewers (80-62) to solidify their spot atop the National League wild-card race to 1 1/2 games over St. Louis (78-63). Milwaukee also gained a half-game on the first-place Chicago Cubs (83-57) in the NL Central.

The Cubs' game in Washington on Friday was rained out.

After blowing an early 2-0 lead, the Brewers were tied 2-2 in the seventh when pinch hitters Curtis Granderson and Eric Thames drew inning-opening walks from Giants reliever Hunter Strickland (3-5).

Strickland got one out, and left-hander Tony Watson came on to get a second, before Aguilar belted a shot to right-center that plated the two runs that made the difference.

Josh Hader (5-1), who struck out five in two scoreless innings in relief of Chase Anderson, was credited with the win. Jeremy Jeffress threw a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts for his ninth save.

Anderson went five innings, allowing two runs and five hits. He walked one and struck out five.

The Brewers staked Anderson with a two-run lead four batters into the bottom of the first when Ryan Braun belted his 15th home run of the season off Giants starter Derek Holland. Lorenzo Cain, who had led off the inning with a single, also scored on Braun's hit.

Those were the only hits and runs the Brewers managed against Holland in his six innings. He walked five and struck out eight.

The Giants tied the score with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Chris Shaw's infield out scored Evan Longoria to get San Francisco on the board in the fourth, before Alen Hanson lashed his eighth homer of the season to lead off the fifth and forge a 2-2 tie.

The Brewers finished with just three hits en route to the fourth win in their last five games.

Hanson had two hits for the Giants, who lost their sixth straight despite out-hitting Milwaukee 5-3.

--Field Level Media