Davis in attack mode from the get-go

WASHINGTON -- A more aggressive approach has produced a hot streak for Brewers left fielder Khris Davis, who continued a power-packed August with a solo home run in Friday's 6-1 loss to the Nationals.

Davis has hit eight of the Brewers' last 14 home runs, all since Aug. 6. His only teammate with multiple home runs in the same span is Ryan Braun, who has three.

"His aggressiveness on the first pitch is paying off, for sure," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He's picking his spots with that. I think that always gives the pitcher something to think about, and I think it makes [Davis] more dangerous to game plan for."

Davis' homer accounted for the Brewers' only run against slider specialist Joe Ross and two Washington relievers. It came in the seventh inning when Ross made a rare mistake on the first pitch of the at-bat.

That should sound familiar. Five of Davis' eight home runs this month -- tied with Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez for the most in the National League -- have come on the first pitch, plus one more on the second pitch. That's by design, said Davis, who has worked with Brewers hitting instructors Darnell Coles and John Shelby on employing a more aggressive mindset.

"I can't remember a specific game" that sparked the change, Davis said. "But that's kind of my game. I've known that. It's kind of my personality, being aggressive. I should be aggressive out there."

He felt he'd strayed from that mindset earlier this season.

"It's not locked in," Davis said. "Sometimes you'll see me take pitches early in an at-bat, and I'm just not there, mentally."