Field Level Media
Aug 28, 2020
Jedd Gyorko slugged two of the Brewers' four home runs Friday, and Milwaukee pasted the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 9-1.
Ryan Braun and Jacob Nottingham also homered and Mark Mathias added a two-run double for Milwaukee, which had lost six of its previous eight games.
The Brewers produced seven runs on extra-base hits that came with two outs and two-strike counts, and all nine runs came on extra-base hits.
The contest was the opener of a four-game series.
JT Riddle homered for Pittsburgh, which had won five of seven. Josh Bell had two of the Pirates' four hits.
Milwaukee's Corbin Burnes (1-0) struck out 10 in six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and walking one.
Pittsburgh starter Derek Holland (1-2) pitched five innings, giving up eight runs and six hits with eight strikeouts and four walks.
Gyorko got the home run derby started with a solo shot in the first inning, a line drive to left for his fourth of the year.
The Brewers pushed it to 4-0 in the third. Nottingham, who was called up Friday with catcher Manny Pina (knee) going on the injured list, got hit in the foot to lead off. Luis Urias sent him to third with a double off the wall in center. Two strikeouts later, Braun homered to left -- his 800th career extra-base hit and second long ball of the year.
In the fourth, Ben Gamel drew a two-out walk before Nottingham launched a 436-foot homer to left to make it 6-0. It was Nottingham's first homer in 2020 and second in the majors.
In the midst of the homer parade, Mathias switched things up with a two-run double in the fifth. Keston Hiura led off the inning with a walk, and Holland got two strikeouts before Avisail Garcia walked. Mathias then smacked a double to left, increasing the lead to 8-0.
Riddle spoiled the shutout in the seventh. With two outs against reliever David Phelps, he hit his first home to right to pull Pittsburgh to within 8-1.
Gyorko struck again in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to left-center off reliever Nick Mears to make it 9-1.
--Field Level Media