Chris Capuano struck out a season-high nine, Geoff Jenkins hit a homer and Milwaukee won for the eighth time in nine games, 3-to-0 over the Washington Nationals tonight.

The victory pushed the surging Brewers to 22-and-10, 5 1/2 games up on the idle Chicago Cubs in the N-L Central.

They were last 12 games over .500 when they finished the 1992 season 92-70.

Washington has lost six in a row for the second time this year.

Capuano pitched eight-plus innings, allowing seven hits and walking none, and the Brewers improved to 7-and-0 in his starts this season.

He allowed just one runner past second base in the first eight innings.