"The last and previously only time that Zack Greinke hit a home run in the major leagues, he had a day to forget on the mound.

Not this time.

Greinke had a memorable game on the mound and at the plate Wednesday afternoon at Miller Park, socking a home run and turning in his best pitching performance yet for Milwaukee as the Brewers pulled out a 6-4 victory over Washington to complete their third consecutive series sweep at home.

With nine consecutive victories at home and six in a row overall, the streaking Brewers moved four games over .500 (27-23) for the first time since July 8, 2009. If Greinke continues to pitch as he did against the Nationals, making just one mistake over seven innings, bigger things are possible.

"This is Zack," said manager Ron Roenicke, whose club faces its stiffest home challenge when World Series champion San Francisco comes to town Friday. "When I saw Zack good (with Kansas City), this is what he does.

"I think it's big. I don't care what a guy has done in the past. You look at that year (2009) when he won the Cy Young and the numbers are pretty ridiculous. But a guy forgets about those in a hurry.

"Anytime you go through another season, the confidence factor is huge. I know he's going to feel good about this game. He did so many things well today, he's going to think, 'I'm back where I need to be.'"

Making his fifth start since coming off the disabled list, Greinke made only one regrettable pitch - a curveball that Nationals first baseman Michael Morse socked for a three-run homer in the fourth. Greinke thought Jayson Werth's single and Laynce Nix's double before the homer came on decent pitches.

Prior to that three-batter hiccup, Greinke had allowed only a harmless single over the first three innings. And after the homer, he retired 12 of the 13 hitters he faced, including the last eight.

If not for a prolonged rally by the Brewers in the seventh inning, Roenicke had planned to send Greinke back out for the eighth. As it was, the 27-year-old righty allowed just five hits and one walk while striking out 10 hitters, a season-high."