Pirates blast 4 homers, win series in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE — With the Pirates sitting final within the Nationwide League Central, it is very seemingly that heart fielder Brian Reynolds can be carrying a brand new uniform after Main League Baseball’s Commerce Deadline on Aug. 2.

So when supervisor Derek Shelton despatched Jack Suwinski as much as pinch-hit for Reynolds within the seventh inning of Pittsburgh’s 8-6 victory over the Brewers on Sunday afternoon, social media naturally started buzzing with rumors of Reynolds’ imminent departure.

However, as is commonly the case in these conditions, there was a extra logical — although equally disagreeable — rationalization: Reynolds was pulled not for a commerce, however as an alternative because of discomfort in his proper aspect.

“He felt it slightly bit,” Shelton stated. “He was capable of play protection unrestricted, however we simply did not wish to take a look at it in an at-bat.

“Clearly with who Bryan is and what he means to us, we weren’t going to danger it.”

Aside from that, Sunday was about nearly as good of a day because the Pirates have had all season.

Begin with Pittsburgh’s offense, which produced eight runs in a recreation for the primary time since an 8-7 victory on June 30 in opposition to Milwaukee, and the eleventh time this season.

The Bucs bought their scoring by way of a number of avenues: They hit 4 residence runs, whereas additionally manufacturing runs extra resourcefully, like when Ke’Bryan Hayes scored on a handed ball after main off the third with a double, his second of three hits within the recreation.

These runs additionally got here on the most opportune occasions, as Milwaukee appeared to reply each time Pittsburgh crossed the plate, just for the Pirates to reply proper again.

After the Brewers tied the sport at 2 within the third, Hayes put the Pirates forward with two outs within the fifth along with his fourth homer of the season. Milwaukee took the lead again once more with two extra within the backside of the body, however the Bucs answered again within the sixth with a leadoff homer by Michael Chavis and a two-out solo shot by Oneil Cruz. Neither workforce scored once more till Daniel Vogelbach broke the sport open with a three-run blast within the ninth.

Whereas the offense did its half, Pittsburgh’s bullpen made the late-game heroics potential by holding Milwaukee to only two runs over the ultimate 4 2/3 innings, each of which got here by the use of Andrew McCutchen’s homer with one out within the ninth.

“We performed good baseball,” Shelton stated. “Simply lots of little issues.”

In consequence, the Pirates not solely received the sport, however posted consecutive victories in Milwaukee for the primary time since September 2018, whereas successful a collection there for simply the second time because the begin of the ’19 season.

That, mixed with taking two of three from the present division chief, is strictly the form of increase a workforce wants in the midst of a frightening stretch of 14 video games in 13 days in 5 cities heading into the All-Star break.

“Profitable is difficult within the large leagues,” Vogelbach stated. “We have been on the opposite aspect of some video games the place we simply could not get the ball to bounce our method and we might lose by one run, so video games like this are large. It is backwards and forwards.

“Any time you possibly can win a collection within the large leagues, regardless of who it is in opposition to, it is large. We’ve got two extra collection earlier than the break and we’ve to maintain enjoying good baseball, as a result of we’ve some good groups forward of us.”