Thames helps Brewers get past Pirates
Eric Thames tripled, homered and drove in two runs to help the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-1 win against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of their three-game series on Saturday night.
Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff allowed one run and six hits in 7 2/3 innings to become the fifth 10-game winner in the majors.
Woodruff (10-2) struck out six and didn't walk a batter.
Yasmani Grandal had two hits in the leadoff spot for Milwaukee, which had lost three of four and eight of 11.
Pittsburgh starter Jordan Lyles (5-4) came off the injured list because of left hamstring tightness and went six innings, allowing three runs and five hits while striking out five and walking two.
Colin Moran and Kevin Newman had two hits each for Pittsburgh, which had won seven of its past eight.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out RBI double by Moran, but Josh Bell was thrown out at home while trying to score from first on the same play.
As they did in Friday's 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh, the Brewers scored twice in the first inning.
Grandal began the inning with bunt single. Christian Yelich walked on four pitches and both runners moved up on a ground out. Grandal was then thrown out at the plate on a grounder to third by Ryan Braun, but Yelich scored on a throwing error by Lyles and Thames knocked in another run with a two-out triple to make it 2-1.
Thames came to bat again in the fourth with one out and lifted a full-count fastball into the second deck in right for a 3-1 lead, his 11th homer of the season.
Matt Albers relieved Woodruff after he gave up a two-out double to Newman in the eighth and got Bryan Reynolds to fly out to right to end the inning.
Josh Hader worked the ninth for his 20th save in 21 opportunities.
--Field Level Media
