Reynolds Extends Hitting Streak To 17 Games, But Pirates Fall 5-2 To Brewers
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Mike Moustakas launched a homer that won a new car for a fan, NL MVP Christian Yelich hit his major-league leading 24th home run on his bobblehead day and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 Sunday for a three-game sweep.
Moustakas connected for his 20th homer off Francisco Liriano (1-1), a tiebreaking, two-run drive in the eighth inning that hit a promotional car perched above the right-center field fence. One lucky fan got a new auto to go along with their Yelich bobblehead.
Orlando Arcia hit a sacrifice fly off Geoff Hartlieb to finish the scoring in the eighth.
Jeremy Jeffress (1-0) pitched the eighth. Josh Hader struck out the side in the ninth for his 16th save and moved the Brewers a season-high 10 games over .500.
The sellout crowd cheered each time Yelich came to the plate, but had little to celebrate until the sixth. Yelich kept the ballpark rocking when he hit the first pitch from starter Steven Brault into the party porch in right.
Brault went a career-best 6 1/3 innings and struck out five. He turned over a 2-1 lead with one out in the sixth to Richard Rodriguez, and pinch-hitter Ben Gamel greeted him with an RBI single that made it 2-all.
Jung Ho Kang, reinstated on Saturday from the 10-day injured list after being out with a left side strain, hit a two-run homer in the first off Chase Anderson. The 457-foot drive was Kang's fifth home run of the season.
Pirates rookie Bryan Reynolds extended his hitting streak to 17 games with an infield single in the first. He also singled in the eighth.
Anderson allowed two runs on four hits over six innings in his first start since a 16-0 drubbing by the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. In that game, he allowed four runs on seven hits, including three home runs, in four innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: Pirates GM Neal Huntington said that RHP Trevor Williams (right side strain) and RHP Chris Stratton (right side discomfort) each were ready for a rehab start probably at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Brewers: RHP Jhoulys Chacín (lower back strain) threw a bullpen session before the game. Manager Craig Counsell that it's possible that Chacín could make a start during the road trip. . LHP Gio González (left arm) played catch the last two days and starts throwing again Monday, but his return is farther off.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (4-6, 4.44 ERA) makes his 13th start this season and fourth career against the Atlanta Braves, facing RHP Kevin Gausman (2-5, 6.15 ERA) in the opener of a four-game road series.
Brewers: RHP Freddy Peralta (3-2, 5.11 ERA) makes his 12th appearance, eighth start of the season and first against the Astros in the opener of an eight-game, nine-day road trip to Houston, San Francisco and San Diego.
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