Freddy Peralta allowed three hits over six scoreless innings and the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers slugged five homers to extend their winning streak to 11 games with a 14-0 rout of the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
Peralta (14-5), who leads the National League in victories, struck out seven and walked one as the Brewers won for the 14th time in 15 games.
Andrew Vaughn capped a six-run sixth with a three-run homer, his 13th, to put Milwaukee up 12-0. Christian Yelich hit his team-high 23rd homer, a two-run shot in the fifth that made it 6-0.
Sal Frelick and Brice Turang had solo homers off Pirates ace Paul Skenes (7-9), who entered with an MLB-best 1.94 ERA, but was tagged for four runs on six hits in four innings.
Skenes has allowed eight runs in eight innings in his last two starts against Milwaukee. He allowed six runs combined in seven starts in between those outings.
The Brewers, 26-4 over their last 30 games, improved to an MLB-best 75-44 and increased their lead in the NL Central to 7 1/2 games over the Chicago Cubs, who lost 5-1 at Toronto.
Frelick opened the first inning with his ninth homer to put the Brewers up 1-0. William Contreras doubled in a run in the third to make it 2-0.
Pittsburgh had two aboard with one out in the fourth after an error and a walk, but Peralta enticed Andrew McCutchen into a inning-ending double play on a bouncer to third.
The Brewers made it 4-0 in the fourth on Turang’s solo homer, his 12th and fourth in the last five games, and Frelick’s RBI single.
Pirates shortstop Jared Triolo pitched the eighth and allowed Caleb Durbin’s two-run homer. Utility infielder Anthony Seigler tossed a scoreless ninth for Milwaukee.
Pirates centerfielder Oneil Cruz was removed after a sliding collision with leftfielder Jack Suwinski and was being evaluated for a head injury, the team announced during the game.
Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected in the fifth by home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz.
–Field Level Media
