Field Level Media
Sep 22, 2019
Eric Thames drove in three runs with a pair of homers and Orlando Arcia added a solo shot as Milwaukee continued its torrid September with a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Brewers' regular-season home finale on Sunday afternoon.
The win by the Brewers (86-70), coupled with Washington's 5-3 loss in Miami, pulled them into a tie with the Nationals (85-69) for the National League's top wild card spot.
Milwaukee's Brandon Woodruff, an 11-game winner, made his second start since returning from the injured list and worked two perfect innings with three strikeouts and three groundouts.
Woodruff missed nearly two months after straining his left oblique in late July.
Jay Jackson worked a perfect third while Gio Gonzalez (3-2) tossed 3 1/3 perfect innings, retiring 10 consecutive batters before Pittsburgh finally produced a hit.
After relievers Drew Pomeranz and Freddy Peralta departed, Josh Hader got four outs, striking out the side swinging in the ninth, for his 35th save in 41 chances.
The six Milwaukee pitchers recorded 14 strikeouts.
The win lifted the Brewers' mark to 17-4 in September, tops in the majors, and they beat Pittsburgh for the 15th time.
Cole Tucker drove in two runs and contributed one of four hits -- all singles -- by the Pirates (65-91), who have lost nine straight.
Arcia ripped a 1-1 slider from starter Trevor Williams (7-8) to left center in the second inning for his 15th homer, a solo shot for a 1-0 lead. The homer matched the shortstop's career high for home runs.
Thames belted the first pitch from Williams in the fourth inning deep to right center for his 22nd homer, and the lefty added a two-run blast off reliever Michael Feliz in the sixth for a 4-0 edge.
Seven of Thames' 23 homers have come against the Pirates.
The latter shot was the 242nd for the slugging Brew Crew, extending their franchise record for round-trippers in a season.
Woodruff, Jackson and Gonzalez authored 6 1/3 perfect innings until Bryan Reynolds stroked a 1-out single off Arcia's glove in the seventh.
Arcia's two-out fielding error allowed Jacob Stallings to score in the eighth, and Hader gave up a two-run single to Tucker to make it 4-3.
Sunday's sellout crowd of 43,321 that capped Fan Appreciation Weekend pushed the Brewers' total home attendance past 2.9 million fans.
--Field Level Media