Brewers: Home, sweep, home after late rally downs Pirates
By Phil Watson
The Milwaukee Brewers’ posted their first sweep at Miller Park in almost a year, capping three straight wins over the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 6-1 victory Sunday fueled by another outstanding performance by rookie right-hander Taylor Jungmann and a late offensive explosion.
It was the Crew’s first sweep at home since taking three from the Cincinnati Reds July 21-23 last year.
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The Brewers (41-52) had been shut down through six innings by Pirates’ lefty Jeff Locke (5-6) before finally breaking through in the seventh.
Carlos Gomez led off the inning with a walk and moved up one out later on Aramis Ramirez’s single to left. Khris Davis followed with a line-drive double to center that brought both runners home and gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead.
That was enough for Jungmann (5-1), who had survived seven innings, allowing a run on five hits while walking three and striking out five.
Jungmann wasn’t overly sharp, throwing 102 pitches, but he got outs when he needed them. Pittsburgh’s only run came in the fifth, when Locke drove a single to left to score Jaff Decker, who had tripled earlier in the inning.
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The Brewers then put it out of reach with a big eighth inning, aided by some fielding adventures by the Pirates (53-38).
Jonathan Lucroy lined a one-out single to left, chasing Locke. Right-hander Jared Hughes came on and surrendered an infield single to Ryan Braun before Gomez loaded the bases with a sharp single to center.
Adam Lind reached on an error by first baseman Travis Ishikawa, with Lucroy scoring to make it 3-1. Ramirez’s sacrifice fly upped the lead to 4-1 and pinch-hitter Shane Peterson lined a double to left to score two more runners, with Lind scoring on an error by Decker.
Will Smith and Jeremy Jeffress teamed up to strike out the side in the eighth and Neal Cotts worked around a walk in the ninth, striking out one.
With the win, the Brewers (41-52) are now 34-34 since manager Craig Counsell took over the club on May 4.
It was the first time Jungmann had faced a team a second time since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to face the Pirates on June 9.
“It was a bit of a wrinkle facing a team for the second time and he was equally good,” Counsell told MLB.com of Jungmann. “He just continues to make pitches and he continues to get swings that don’t look like great swings. It’s been great to watch.”
Jean Segura, Lucroy and Ramirez each had two hits to key Milwaukee’s 11-hit attack.
The game wasn’t without some controversy, though. Gomez was called out after being tagged by Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer in the baseline between first and second.
Mercer had shifted over to the right-field side of the bag against the pull-hitting Lind in the second inning and fielded a slow roller near the bag at second. He tagged Gomez, who went into a slide and upended Mercer.
Mercer had to be taken off on a cart and will be examined in Pittsburgh on Monday for what the Pirates are calling a “left lower leg injury,” according to MLB.com.
Gomez was apologetic on social media after the game.
Want to take a moment to send my thoughts and prayers to Jordy_Mercer his family and the @Pirates organization.
— Carlos Gomez (@RealCarlosGomez) July 20, 2015
It was never my intention to hurt him or take him out of the game. Hope you have a speedy recovery and are out on the field soon.
— Carlos Gomez (@RealCarlosGomez) July 20, 2015
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The Brewers are off on Monday before opening a short two-game interleague set with the Cleveland Indians at Miller Park on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m.
Matt Garza (4-10, 5.55 ERA) is set to return from the disabled list to start against the Indians. Right-hander Danny Salazar (8-4, 3.74) is the scheduled starter for Cleveland.
Garza is 2-4 in eight career starts against the Indians, with a 4.81 ERA and 1.419 WHIP, striking out 43 in 43 innings. He last faced Cleveland in 2010, when he was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.
He last started at Philadelphia on July 2, allowing four runs on 10 hits in six innings, taking a no-decision in an 8-7 Brewer victory.
Salazar, in his third big-league season, has never faced the Brewers. He worked 8.2 innings on July 10 against the Oakland Athletics, allowing an unearned run on five hits while fanning eight in an 8-4 win.
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