Marco Estrada, Alex Gonzalez power Brewers to 2-1 win over Pirates

W: Marco Estrada (4-2)
L: A.J. Burnett (3-5)
S: Francisco Rodriguez (1)

HR: None

MVP: Marco Estrada (+.331 WPA)
LVP: Martin Maldonado (-.081)

Box Score
Win Expectancy Graph

If you missed tonight's game, you missed the best performance by a Brewer starting pitcher in 2013.

Marco Estrada, who entered tonight's game with a 5.44 ERA, carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning tonight and a shutout into the seventh. His final line: Seven innings, one run on four hits, no walks and a season high-tying eight strikeouts. The Brewers are now 7-3 in his starts this season, and have just 12 wins combined in everyone else's.

It's a good thing Estrada was excellent, because the Brewer offense didn't give him much to work with. They collected just three hits off A.J. Burnett but managed to score a pair of runs on Alex Gonzalez's second inning double. This was the first time all season the Brewers have scored less than three runs and won.

Jim Henderson retired the first two batters in the ninth inning tonight before leaving the game with what appeared to be a hamstring strain. That prompted Ron Roenicke to bring in Francisco Rodriguez to record his first save of 2013 and the 295th of his career. It wasn't entirely Roenicke's fault with Henderson's injury, but the Brewers used four relievers to record the final six outs tonight.

The holiday weekend and this series both continue at Miller Park tomorrow afternoon, where Jeff Locke takes on Mike Fiers at 3:10.