Brewers Complete Sweep Of Pirates With 12-8 Win

W: Kameron Loe (5-4)
L: James McDonald (12-7)
S: John Axford (23)

HR: Ryan Braun (37), Jeff Bianchi (2), Rickie Weeks (14), Carlos Gomez (15), Yovani Gallardo (1), Michael McKenry (12), Gaby Sanchez (5), Garrett Jones (23)

MVP: Rickie Weeks (+.229)
LVP: Yovani Gallardo (-.243)

Win Expectancy Graph

The Brewers picked up their fifth consecutive home win and their 13th out of 15 today, completing a sweep of the Pirates with a wild game at Miller Park.

This one really should have been over early, as the Brewers scored three runs in the first and second, two in the third and three more in the fourth to open up an 11-4 lead with Yovani Gallardo on the mound. Gallardo struggled mightily today, though, allowing seven runs and 15 baserunners (eleven hits and four walks). Despite getting eleven runs of support (including a solo home run he hit himself), he didn't qualify for the win today when he couldn't finish the fifth inning.

Meanwhile, the Brewer offense was locked in today. Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit (Martin Maldonado was the exception) and the first five batters in the lineup (Norichika Aoki, Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart) combined to get on base 14 times. Ryan Braun hit a home run off the NYCE Club in left field in the first inning, and preliminary estimates say it went over 450 feet.

The Brewer bullpen actually did a pretty good job behind Gallardo today, allowing one run on just two hits and a walk over 4.1 innings. Manny Parra allowed one of the hits and the walk while failing to record a batter in the ninth inning.

The Brewers head to Miami tonight and play a weird series-opening day game against the Marlins tomorrow. Mike Fiers will face Ricky Nolasco at 12:10.