Field Level Media
Aug 23, 2020
Gregory Polanco's two-out, two-run home run in the eighth inning Sunday gave the Pittsburgh Pirates a 5-4 win and a sweep of their series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.
Polanco's fourth homer of the season came against Milwaukee reliever David Phelps (2-3) one out after Cole Tucker's one-out single.
Adam Frazier, Jarrod Dyson and Bryan Reynolds each added an RBI single for Pittsburgh, which had just four wins entering the three-game series.
Justin Smoak hit a two-run homer and an RBI double, and Omar Narvaez added two hits and an RBI for the Brewers.
Pittsburgh's JT Brubaker, making his third career start, gave up two runs and four hits, with six strikeouts and a walk. Chris Stratton (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth. Richard Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his second career save and first of the season.
Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Two Pirates left the game, first baseman Colin Moran (concussion evaluation) and shortstop Kevin Newman (abdominal muscle discomfort).
Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the first. Erik Gonzalez led off with a double to right and scored on Frazier's base hit down the line in right.
The Pirates made it 2-0 in the second. Polanco singled and stole second. Jose Osuna moved Polanco to third on a groundout, and Dyson followed with an RBI base hit to left.
In the fourth, Keston Hiura singled with one out and scored on Smoak's double to right-center to draw the Brewers to within 2-1.
Milwaukee tied it in the fifth. Luis Urias led off with a double. Narvaez ended an 0-for-19 drought at the plate with a single to right.
Hiura, leading off the sixth, reached on third baseman JT Riddle's throwing error. Smoak followed with his fourth homer, this one clanging off the foul pole in left to give the Brewers a 4-2 lead.
The Pirates cut it to 4-3 in the sixth. Riddle led off with a double and moved to third on Tucker's groundout. Freddy Peralta replaced Burnes and gave up an RBI single to Reynolds.
--Field Level Media