Pirates' Struggles Continue in Loss to Brewers
Many of the same problems that have plagued the Pittsburgh Pirates through the second half of the season reared their ugly head in their 7-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday at PNC Park.
With the loss, Pittsburgh (73-84) dropped to 5-6 on the season series against the Brewers (90-67).
At the plate, the Pirates struggled to sustain any offense despite having nine hits. Pittsburgh went 1-5 and led six runners on base. Those struggles paled in comparison to the Brewers, who had 12 at bats with runners in scoring position and had three hits. Two of those hits came in the second inning on an RBI double from Sal Frelick and a two-run single from Joey Ortiz to give the Brewers a 3-0 lead.
Pittsburgh responded in the bottom half of the inning when an RBI single from Jared Triolo and a sacrifice fly from Nick Yorke cut the lead to one. That would ultimately be as close as the Pirates got to tying the game or taking the lead.
Triolo went 3-4 and Joey Bart also had a multi-hit performance, going 2-4 with a run scored.
Milwaukee pulled away in the top of the seventh inning when it plated three runs on bases-loaded walks from Willy Adames and Rhys Hoskins and a sac fly from Frelick.
Ortiz drove in three runs for the Brewers, while Adames and Jackson Chourio had two-hit nights.
Bailey Falter was on the hook for the loss, allowing four runs over five innings of work. Falter is now 8-9 this season. Isaac Mattson struggled out of the bullpen, allowing three runs and walking four batters in 1.1 innings of work. Joey Wentz and David Bednar combined to pitch 2.2 scoreless innings.
Hoby Milner earned the win with a scoreless fifth inning pitched in relief of starter Tobias Myers, who pitched four innings and allowed two runs. Milner was one of five relief pitchers who combined to pitch five scoreless innings against Pittsburgh.
The Pirates and Brewers square off again on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. ET at PNC Park.
NATHANIEL MARRERO