Isiah Kiner-Falefa tripled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and Nick Gonzales had five hits as the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates held on for a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.
Gonzales had two doubles and three singles, driving in two runs, and Tommy Pham homered for the Pirates, who won back-to-back games for the first time since June 9. The Brewers had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Chase Shugart (4-3) got the win in relief. David Bednar finished with a scoreless ninth for his 11th save in 11 opportunities.
The Brewers threatened in the ninth when Caleb Durbin singled to open the inning, but he was caught stealing when he slid past second for the first out of the inning.
Pittsburgh went in front 5-4 with a run in the sixth off reliever Nick Mears (1-1) when Pham singled with one out and Kiner-Falefa tripled.
Christian Yelich brought the Brewers even at 4-all in the fifth with his 15th homer, a two-run shot down the right field line off Shugart.
Pham staked the Pirates to a 3-0 lead with a two-run homer in the fourth. Ke’Bryan Hayes walked with one out and Pham followed with his first homer, sending the first pitch 416 feet to center.
The Brewers got two back in the bottom half against Hunter Stratton, who relieved to open the inning. Yelich walked and William Contreras and Brice Turang singled to make it 3-1. Isaac Collins blooped a single into shallow right to load the bases and Durbin followed with a sacrifice fly.
Pittsburgh made it 4-2 in fifth when Bryan Reynolds doubled to open and scored on a single by Gonzales.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead after two outs in the first when Reynolds singled and Gonzales followed with an RBI double to left-center.
Pirates rookie right-hander Braxton Ashcraft, making his first major league start after seven relief appearances, allowed one hit over three scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
Brewers rookie starter Chad Patrick four runs on nine hits in five innings, with a career-high nine strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
