Pirates Drop 8th Straight, Lose 10-1 To Brewers
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Rookies Keston Hiura and Trent Grisham each hit two-run homers and the Milwaukee Brewers increased their edge for the second NL wild-card spot, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1 Saturday night.
The Brewers lead Chicago by three games in the wild-card race after the Cubs lost to St. Louis. Milwaukee remained one game behind Washington for the top wild-card slot.
Milwaukee has won seven of eight and extended its September record to 16-4, tops in the major leagues. The Brewers are 9-2 since losing reigning MVP Christian Yelich to a fractured kneecap.
Hiura put staked the Brewers to a 2-1 lead in the first with his 18th home run, atoning for his error at second base in the top half that handed the Pirates a run.
Grisham, who drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth, put the Brewers up 10-1 in the seventh with his sixth homer.
Brent Suter (3-0) relieved to start the fifth and pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. Suter has allowed one earned run in 14 1/3 innings in seven appearances since coming back from Tommy John surgery.
Starter Zach Davies gave up an unearned run on three hits in four innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter.
The Brewers pushed the lead to 5-1 with three runs in the fourth, aided by a pair of bases-loaded walks. Ryan Braun singled to open, Eric Thames was hit by a pitch and Lorenzo Cain followed with an RBI single.
Pirates starter James Marvel (0-3) walked two straight to load the bases and then force in a run. Parker Markel relieved and struck out Yasmani Grandal, but then walked in another run.
Cain added an RBI singled in the fifth and Braun doubled in two more in the sixth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: C Elias Diaz left in the fourth inning with a right knee injury, sustained while stopping a pitch in the dirt.
Brewers: 2B Hiura was lifted for a pinch-runner after being hit by a pitch in the eighth inning.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Trevor Williams (7-7, 5.59 ERA) is 3-2 with a 7.15 ERA in his last seven starts. He was tagged for seven runs in 2 1/3 innings with two homers and three walks in his last outing.
Brewers: All-Star RHP Brandon Woodruff (11-3, 3.69 ERA) makes his second start since missing two months with a left oblique strain. Woodruff allowed one walk in two hitless innings in his first start back, with four strikeouts.
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