Pirates 4, Brewers 3: Frustrations mount in loss

PITTSBURGH - It's been a while since the Milwaukee Brewers have struggled like this.

The timely hitting has disappeared. The barrage of home runs has slowed. The bullpen, given little margin for error lately, is faltering.

Combined with the unsuccessful return from the disabled list by Junior Guerra and the eighth-inning ejections of Travis Shaw and manager Craig Counsell, it all added up to a frustrating 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Tuesday night.

Shaw's three-run homer in the third provided all the offense, while Guerra's sixth-inning meltdown allowed the Pirates back into the game. As a result, Milwaukee has lost three consecutive games for the first time since June 10-13.

"It's key for us to bounce back here," Shaw said. "It's close to the trading deadline, obviously, and we haven't played well in the second half. A couple of the wins we've had have been come-from-behind wins, as well.

"We need to play a little bit better all the way around, and I'm confident we'll do that."

But is there any sense of panic with the Chicago Cubs lurking in second place in the National League Central?

"I mean, it's July and we're in first," Shaw added. "We're fine."

The Brewers held a 3-0 lead after three innings, but the advantage should have been greater.

They opened the second with a Shaw single and a Hernán Pérez double off Ivan Nova to put runners in scoring position but failed to score as Manny Piña popped out and Keon Broxton struck out. Guerra then struck out after the Pirates walked Orlando Arcia intentionally to load the bases.

The third inning proved to be even more maddening, as Milwaukee racked up six consecutive hits but managed to plate just three runs.

Domingo Santana and Eric Thames opened with singles, but second-base umpire Ryan Blakney called Santana out after ruling Thames' bouncer hit Santana in the back leg. Counsell went out to argue to no avail because the play is not reviewable.

Shaw followed by smashing a three-run homer to right-center on an 0-2 count, a blast that wound up in the Allegheny River.

Pérez then singled but was thrown out trying to steal second. Piña followed with a single, but Broxton grounded out and Milwaukee was left to settle for the three-run cushion.

"I felt the umpire left some runs on the board for us," said Counsell, whose team is 3 for 16 with runners in scoring position and has left 19 runners on through the first two games of the series.

"He says it hit his pants. If he's got good enough eyes to see it hit his pants – not his leg, but his pants – I guess that's why he's an umpire."

BOX SCORE:Pirates 4, Brewers 3

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Guerra, pitching for the first time since being sent to the DL with a right shin contusion suffered in his previous start July 7, didn't allow a base-runner through the first three innings while also touching 96 mph with his fastball.

The Pirates managed only a Starling Marte single through the first five innings before the wheels came off.

Francisco Cervelli opened the Pittsburgh sixth with a homer to left. Guerra then recovered to record the next two outs, with Broxton making a terrific diving catch in short center field to rob Adam Frazier of a single.

The trouble really began when Guerra walked Marte. Josh Harrison followed with a homer to right to tie it at 3-3, ending Guerra's night. Oliver Drake (3-3) followed by allowing a walk and then consecutive singles, with David Freese's shot to the right side giving the Pirates the 4-3 lead.

Guerra finished one-third inning shy of tying his season high while allowing three hits and a walk and striking out four over 76 pitches.

"He fell behind in the count," Counsell said. "That's been a lot of what's gotten him in trouble this year. Up until that point he was really good. I think this was a positive start for Junior. It's something to build on, hopefully."

The fireworks popped off when Shaw was called out on strikes by home-plate umpire Mike Muchlinski to open the eighth. He slammed his bat down in frustration and was immediately ejected, an act that quickly brought Counsell from the dugout.

He, too, gave Muchlinski a piece of his mind and was tossed. It was his second ejection of the season, with the first coming May 26 after arguing a replay challenge.

"It was outside. He missed it," Shaw said of the strike call. "He didn't like my reaction to his mistake, obviously, but it's a one-run game in the eighth. He's got to be a little better than that."

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

• It was announced that second baseman Eric Sogard will play two minor-league rehab games for the Timber Rattlers beginning Wednesday.

• With Pérez starting at second base, Counsell gave Santana his first start of the season in the leadoff spot.

"With Jonny (Villar) out of there today I wanted to think about it a little differently," Counsell said. "I was down to Eric Thames or Domingo. They were going to hit 1-2; I didn't think there was a big difference. Domingo's the guy that's moved around a little bit, so I just put him in the 1-spot."

Santana joined Villar, Sogard, Broxton, Lewis Brinson and Nick Franklin as leadoff hitters this season.

STAT SHEET

• Shaw entered Tuesday having extended his errorless streak at third base to 61 games. Don Money holds the franchise record with 88 errorless games spanning the 1973-'74 seasons and the single-season mark with 86 games in 1973.

• Corey Knebel needs a strikeout in each of his next three appearances to tie Aroldis Chapman's major-league record of 49 straight games with at least one punchout spanning seasons by a reliever set from 2013-'14.

TAKEAWAY

The adversity is beginning to pile up for the Brewers, and the pressure is much greater than it was early in the season when expectations are low. How will they respond? There are still eight games to go on this 10-game trip.

RECORD

This year: 52-44 (28-24 home; 24-20 away)

Last year: 41-55

NEXT GAME

Wednesday: Brewers at Pirates, 6:05 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Zach Davies (11-4, 5.08) vs. Pittsburgh RHP Gerrit Cole (7-7, 4.35). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.