Brewers 3, Pirates 1: Scratching out a win with balanced effort

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Brewers' Keon Broxton celebrates his seventh-inning home run against the Pirates on Tuesday night.

Close games between the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates have become the norm of late.

For the seventh consecutive time Tuesday night the teams faced off in a matchup that was decided by two or fewer runs, with a well-balanced performance paving the way for a 3-1 Brewers victory at Miller Park.

Manny Piña drove in two runs, Keon Broxton homered and Zach Davies turned in a solid 6 2/3-inning start as Milwaukee opened its brief two-game set against Pittsburgh on a high note.

It was quite a different story the last time the teams met, with the Pirates sweeping away the Brewers in a four-game series at PNC Park. That started a month-long offensive drought for Milwaukee and its eventual fall from first place in the National League Central.

With Orlando Arcia a late scratch due to back spasms and Eric Sogard filling in for him at shortstop, the Brewers had an all left-handed-hitting infield and five left-handed hitters in the lineup altogether – Jonathan Villar and Neil Walker are switch-hitters – to face right-hander Ivan Nova.

Travis Shaw, who entered the night a career .769 hitter against Nova (10 for 13 with three homers), singled to open the Brewers' second. Then Domingo Santana walked and Walker reached on an error to load the bases with nobody out, setting Milwaukee up for a potential big inning.

Piña's groundout drove in Shaw to make it 1-0, but Sogard followed by grounding into a 4-6-3 double play and the Brewers were forced to settle for just the single run.

Davies, who was coming in off perhaps his worst start of the season, induced five ground-ball outs in the first two innings before working around multiple base-runners in each of the next three.

The fourth proved to be the most interesting for Davies. With two outs and Josh Bell on first, Adam Frazier dumped a single into right. Rather than playing it safe and at least hitting the cutoff man, Santana rushed in and uncorked a wild throw that got past Shaw at third.

BOX SCORE: Brewers 3, Pirates 1

MLB: Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, schedules

Bell tried scoring, but the ball bounced back to Shaw on the rebound and he made a strong throw home to get a sliding Bell at the plate. Manager Clint Hurdle challenged the play, believing Piña blocked the plate, but the out call was confirmed in short order.

The Brewers couldn't get much of anything going against Nova after the second, and the Pirates finally took advantage in the sixth. With Bell on base again, Frazier laced a two-out triple down the first-base line and Bell came around to score to knot it at 1-1.

Milwaukee quickly responded by manufacturing a run in the bottom of the sixth.

Shaw walked with one out, went to second on a passed ball and took third on a groundout by Santana. After Pittsburgh put Walker on via an intentional walk, Piña pulled a grounder into the hole that deflected off third baseman David Freese's glove and to shortstop Jordy Mercer.

Mercer made a strong throw to first but Bell's deep stretch pulled his foot just off the base as Piña crossed it, leaving him with an infield single and the Brewers back in front at 2-1.

Davies and Jared Hughes combined on a scoreless seventh, with Hughes getting Josh Harrison on a comebacker with the potential tying run at second base for the final out.

In a 101-pitch outing, Davies allowed six hits, one run and two walks with a pair of strikeouts – a nice bounce-back effort for the right-hander, who improved to 14-6 on the season while lowering his ERA to 4.26.

Broxton applied the finishing touch in the seventh. Batting in the pitcher's spot, he led off the bottom half of the frame by homering to right-center off A.J. Schugel to give the Brewers a two-run cushion at 3-1.

Jacob Barnes and Corey Knebel combined to pitch a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively, with Knebel recording his 23rd save.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

» Manager Craig Counsell announced Brandon Woodruff, Matt Garza and Chase Anderson as his three starters for the upcoming weekend series at Colorado.

"Chase was pitching very, very well before he got hurt," Counsell said. "He's a guy we've missed. Brent (Suter) filled in very nicely for him, but if we can get Chase into that form, that's a big addition, for sure."

The return of Anderson is a boon and somewhat of a surprise, considering it was initially expected he'd need three minor-league rehab starts before returning. Anderson, who's been on the disabled list since June 29 with a strained left oblique, was 6-2 with a 2.89 ERA and WHIP of 1.11 through 16 turns.

"I'm ready for the rehab experience to be over," Anderson said. "I feel like I'm built back up."

» The Brewers also likely will be welcoming catcher Stephen Vogt back along with Anderson in Colorado. Vogt, who's been out with a left-knee sprain since July 18, is in the midst of a minor-league rehab stint that was transferred earlier Tuesday to Class AAA Colorado Springs.

"He's on track to join us," said Counsell. "He's got three games left to play. He'll catch two out of three games in Colorado Springs and if he's healthy at that point and feeling good, he'll join us in Colorado."

STAT SHEET

» Walker, who played for the Pirates from 2009-'15, is hitting .333 with four homers and 10 RBI in 10 career games against his former team.

» The Brewers have outscored their opponents, 95-54, in the first inning this season – the largest margin in the major leagues. Their 95 first-inning runs also top the majors.

TAKEAWAY

There wasn't a lot of offense to speak of, but with Davies dealing the Brewers didn't need much. Getting Davies back on track is big as well, considering how poorly he fared his last time out.

RECORD

This year: 62-59 (34-30 home; 28-29 away)

Last year: 52-69

ATTENDANCE

Tuesday: 32,605

2017 total: 1,984,676 (31,011 avg.)

Last year: 1,840,225 (28,753 avg.)

NEXT GAME

Wednesday: Brewers vs. Pirates, 1:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Jimmy Nelson (9-6, 3.72) vs. Pittsburgh RHP Gerrit Cole (10-8, 3.96) TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.