Brewers beat Pirates 5-4, take NL Central lead and stop 6-game skid
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Joey Wiemer homered and Blake Perkins drove in two runs as the Milwaukee Brewers held on for a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night to stop a six-game losing streak and take over first place in the NL Central.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell tried to have the game end on a pitch clock violation with the bases loaded in the ninth when Jason Delay stepped out with an 0-2 count and about 5 seconds left on the timer.
Counsell came onto the field, arms raised wide, and plate umpire Ramon DeJesus told the manager that he had ordered the clock reset before Delay left the batter's box.
"There's nothing wrong," DeJesus said to him.
Delay then swung past an inside changeup, giving Williams his 11th save in 12 chances.
Pittsburgh had loaded the bases on Josh Palacios' double between a pair of walks.
Milwaukee (35-34) moved a half-game ahead of the Reds (35-35) and Pirates (34-34). Pittsburgh has lost four straight as is 14-26 following a 20-8 start.
Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill (6-6) allowed four runs — three earned — and three hits in five innings with six walks, one shy of his career high.
The 43-year-old left-hander struggled through a 36-pitch first inning, walking three of his first four batters and committing a pitch clock violation. A catcher's interference call on Austin Hedges put Luis Urías on first and loaded the bases. Hill forced in a run with a walk on a full-count curveball to Brian Anderson, and Perkins hit a two-run single for a 3-0 lead.
Milwaukee's Julio Teheran (2-2) allowed two runs and one hit in six innings, a solo home run by Carlos Santana in the second. Teheran, who pitched in the minors in 2022, has a 1.78 ERA in five starts
William Contreras' RBI double in the fourth boosted the lead to 4-1, but Tucupita Marcano had a sacrifice fly in the sixth,
Wiemer put the Brewers ahead 5-2 in the bottom half, ending an 0-for-19 slide when he hit his ninth home run this season. The home run came off Carmen Mlodzinski, a 24-year-old right-hander making his major league debut. Mlodzinski was the 31st overall pick in the 2020 amateur draft.
Ke"Bryan Hayes hit a two-run single in the seventh against Elvis Peguero.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: LHP Rob Zastryzny (left forearm inflammation) was put on the 15-day IL, opening a roster spot for Mlodzinski, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Brewers: DH Jesse Winker (cervical strain) will be activated sometime this weekend, Counsell said.
UP NEXT
Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (8-2, 3.41 ERA) faces Brewers LHP Wade Miley (3-2, 3.67 ERA) on Saturday.
