Milwaukee Brewers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Match Player Stats On Sep 18, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 18, 2017

PITTSBURGH -- Ryan Braun homered, and Neil Walker drove in a run and scored one against his original club Monday night as the Milwaukee Brewers shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 at PNC Park.

Five Brewers pitchers kept the Pirates off the plate despite giving up eight hits. They combined to strike out 11 and walk none.

Milwaukee (80-70) won its second straight and moved to within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.

Andrew McCutchen went 3-for-4 for Pittsburgh, which has lost six in a row and 11 of 12.

The Pirates (68-83) have scored two runs or fewer in seven of their past eight.

Milwaukee left-hander Brent Suter (3-2) had not lasted more than three innings or made more than 50 pitches since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 31. Suter had been out due to a strained left rotator cuff.

On Monday, though, he pitched five scoreless innings, giving up five hits and striking out four. He threw 64 pitches.

Jeremy Jeffress, Josh Hader and Anthony Swarzak handled the next three innings, and Corey Knebel pitched the ninth for his 36th save.

Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon (7-7) was skipped in the rotation after he lasted only 4 2/3 innings on Sept. 7 in an 8-2 loss to the Cubs. In that game, he gave up six runs and 11 hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

On Monday, he allowed two runs in five-plus innings, with six hits, four strikeouts and one walk.

Braun gave Milwaukee a 1-0 lead with a one-out homer to left in the fourth. It was his 17th homer, and it came on Taillon's 50th pitch.

Travis Shaw followed with a double to left-center, but Eric Thames lined into a double play.

Walker's no-out RBI single in the sixth gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead and chased Taillon. Reliever A.J. Schugel got out of the inning with no more damage on a fielder's choice, a strikeout and a fly ball.

In the eighth, Shaw hit the third of three straight one-out singles off of reliever George Kontos to drive in Walker for a 3-0 lead.

NOTES: Pirates C Francisco Cervelli, on the disabled list due to right quadriceps irritation, will be shut down for the season, manager Clint Hurdle said. ... Pittsburgh RHP Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to pitch in relief at some point Wednesday and will get another start this season, Hurdle said. ... Milwaukee RHP Barrett Astin cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Louisville.