Brewers Top Bucs For 9th Straight Win
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Corbin Burnes went beyond seven innings for the first time in the majors, helping the Milwaukee Brewers match their longest winning streak in seven years with a 7-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.
The NL Central-leading Brewers have won nine in a row for the first time since April 4-13, 2014, outscoring opponents 66-23 during the streak.
Burnes (4-4) allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts in a career-high 7 1/3 innings. He lasted seven innings twice before in the majors, once this season against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 6.
Pirates starter Wil Crowe (1-5) went 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts.
Clay Holmes didn't get an out on 20 pitches (13 balls) in the sixth for the Pirates, who have lost four straight. He allowed an RBI single to Keston Hiura that extended Milwaukee's lead to 3-1 following a balk and walked the bases loaded.
Daniel Robertson made it 4-1 on a sacrifice fly with one out after Holmes was pulled for Chris Stratton.
Burnes' one noticeable mistake came in the fifth, when Ben Gamel drove his cutter over the wall in right-center field to cut Milwaukee's lead to 2-1. The right-hander used just 42 pitches to get through the first four innings.
Gamel nearly got Pittsburgh on the board earlier, sending a ball deep to center. Jackie Bradley Jr. slowed near the warning track and faked like he had no play on the ball before making the routine catch. His faint appeared to fool baserunner Jacob Stallings, who was doubled up at first base.
Pirates closer Richard Rodríguez gave up three runs in the ninth, one on a double from Omar Narváez and two more on a single from Tyrone Taylor with the deficit expanding to 7-1.
ALL-STAR STARTER
Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier will start for the National League in the 2021 All-Star Game at Coors Field, MLB announced Thursday. He will join Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski (1967) as the only Pittsburgh second basemen to start an All-Star Game. Frazier entered Thursday second in the NL in batting (.327) and tied for second in doubles (24).
ROSTER MOVES
Brewers: RHP Alec Bettinger was recalled from Triple-A Nashville. ... LHP Aaron Ashby was optioned to Nashville after getting pulled two outs into the first inning Wednesday when he allowed seven runs in a 15-7 win against the Chicago Cubs.
Pirates: OF Jared Oliva was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: 2B Kolten Wong left with left calf tightness after the top of the third inning.
Pirates: 1B Colin Moran was placed on the 10-day injured list with a pisiform bone fracture in his left hand. ... INF Erik Gonzalez exited with a right-side discomfort after hustling for a single in the seventh.
UP NEXT
RHP Adrian Houser (4-5, 4.16 ERA) will take the mound for the Brewers, facing Pirates RHP JT Brubaker (4-7, 3.82) on Friday. Houser has allowed a combined nine runs his past two starts; Brubaker hasn't surrendered more than three runs in five straight starts.
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