Brewers 5, Pirates 1: Things go well in Pittsburgh

Win: Marco Estrada (3-2)
Loss: A.J. Burnett (3-4)

MVP: Marco Estrada (.296 WPA)

LVP: Yuniesky Betancourt (-.101 WPA)

No matter how badly things are going for the Brewers, things always tend to go better for them against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jean Segura got a hit with his eyes closed.

Four of the Brewers five runs came on balls that didn't leave the infield.

After giving up eight earned runs in three innings in his last start, Marco Estrada gave up just one earned run in seven innings.

The Brewers stole six bases. And Rod Barajas wasn't even the catcher.

There's just something about the Pirates.

Breaks started going the Brewers way early on when, following a Norichika Aoki double, both Segura and Carlos Gomez reached on infield singles to score Aoki to give the Brewers a one run lead.

Both Aoki and Segura were involved again in the fifth inning when the Brewers scored their next two runs. Logan Schafer, starting in left field for Ryan Braun, doubled to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice bunt from Estrada, Aoki doubled for the second time to score Schafer from third. The Brewers scored their third run of the game on a weakly hit ball by Segura that didn't even make it to the pitcher's mound. Aoki was able to sneak in before A.J. Burnett was able to scoop the ball to Michael McKenry at home.

The Brewers were once again able to catch a break on their fourth run of the night. With Schafer on third, Aoki hit a groundball hard up the middle that deflected off of Burnett's glove and ultimately turned into a throwing error on Burnett. On a different night, that could have very easily turned into a heartbreaking out at home plate, but not tonight. Things just seem to go right when the Brewers play the Pirates.

The Pirates ended up getting their first run off of Marco Estrada in the seventh on an RBI grounder from Pedro Alvarez, but Estrada was able to finish up the inning without any other damage and put together a great start after struggling so mightily eight days ago in St. Louis. Estrada pitched seven innings for the Brewers tonight and gave up one run on only three hits while striking out five and walking just one.

The Brewers added one more run tonight in the ninth inning on, of course, an infield single from Aoki.

Tomorrow, the Brewers will take on the Pirates in the second game of the series with Kyle Lohse on the mound against left-hander Jeff Locke. Game time is 6:05 p.m.