Brewers ride six-run third inning to 7-4 win over Pirates

WP: Chase Anderson (9-7)
LP: Chris Archer (4-7)
SV: Jeremy Jeffress (7)

HR: Mike Moustakas (28), Manny Pina (7), Jonathan Schoop (19), Adam Frazier (7), Gregory Polanco (21)

Box Score

The Brewers bats came alive today, and they came together for some big offense.

Going to the trade deadline, and even earlier in the season, there was a big buzz to try to acquire Chris Archer from the Rays. The Brewers faced him for the first time as a Pirate today, and were able to take full advantage. In the third inning, Lorenzo Cain led off with a triple. After Christian Yelich struck out, Jesus Aguilar hit a sacrifice fly to score Cain, giving the Brewers a 1-0 lead. It wasn’t over there, though. Travis Shaw followed up with a double, and Ryan Braun singled to score Shaw and up the lead to 2-0. It kept going from there. Mike Moustakas homered to up the lead to 4-0, and then after Jonathan Schoop singled, Manny Pina also added a home run to make it a 6-0 game.

The Brewers needed that lead because it wasn’t a good day for starter Chase Anderson. It started off well enough, with just a hit by pitch and a double accounting for the only base runners. In the fifth, it started to unravel a little, as a single from Colin Moran and double from Adeiny Hechavarria put the Pirates on the board at 6-1. Anderson went back out for the sixth, and it continued falling apart. Starling Marte doubled, and back to back home runs from Adam Frazier and Gregory Polanco cut the Brewers lead to 6-4. After Francisco Cervelli singled, Chase Anderson’s day was done. He pitched 5+ innings, allowing seven hits and four runs. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out three, but also allowed two home runs.

Counsell turned it over to the bullpen at that point, and they were their old self tonight. Josh Hader started it off and pitched two perfect innings with two strikeouts. Joakim Soria was next, and it looked like the defense would get the Brewers in trouble as errors in the middle of the infield (Jonathan Schoop at second, Orlando Arcia at short) gave the Pirates runners at first and third. However, Soria did not allow that to phase him, pitching a perfect inning beyond that to keep the Pirates from scoring. Jeremy Jeffress finished it off, and after allowing a leadoff single, got a lineout and a double play to end the game and preserve the Brewers win.

The six run third was the deciding factor today, accounting for all of the runs in Chris Archer’s line. He pitched just four innings, allowing seven hits, six runs, two walks, and two home runs in the start. Mike Moustakas and Jonathan Schoop led the offense with two hits each, and the second of Schoop’s hits was a home run that gave the Brewers an insurance run and accounted for the final 7-4 margin.

The Brewers have another off day tomorrow before heading on a six-game road trip. First up is Cincinnati, and Junior Guerra will get the first start in that series, hoping for some better luck. He will face Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani. First pitch is at 6:10 pm.