Kyle Harrison did the damage that mattered before Pittsburgh could answer. The Brewers built a 4-0 cushion by the sixth inning behind Harrison's overpowering start, then survived a seventh-inning jolt from Endy Rodriguez to escape with a 4-2 win over the Pirates at American Family Field.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| MIL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Harrison was the story for five innings, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out 10 across 5.0 innings. He did not allow a run. The Brewers turned it over to their bullpen from there, and five relievers combined for 4.0 innings, allowing two runs, with Trevor Megill closing it out for his 20th save of the season.
Milwaukee broke the game open in the fourth. Christian Yelich doubled to right to score Mitchell and put the Brewers ahead 1-0, the go-ahead swing of the game. Andrew Vaughn followed with a single that scored both Contreras and Yelich, stretching the lead to 3-0. William Contreras added to the margin in the sixth with a solo homer to left center, his blast traveling 400 feet and pushing Milwaukee's advantage to 4-0.
Paul Skenes took the loss, allowing 3 runs (3 earned) on 2 hits over 5.0 innings with 4 walks and 6 strikeouts. Pittsburgh's lone scoring came in the seventh, when Endy Rodriguez homered to left center, a 378-foot shot that also brought home Bryan Reynolds and pulled the Pirates within 4-2. It wasn't enough. Rodriguez finished 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs, and Reynolds went 1-for-4.
The win pushed Milwaukee to 71-43, extending its winning streak to two games and keeping the Brewers atop their division. Pittsburgh fell to 57-59, losing its second straight. Contreras, who finished 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored to go with his homer, sits at 96 career home runs, four shy of the 100 mark.