Brandon Woodruff threw six shutout innings, and Jake Bauers and Jackson Chourio each hit two-run home runs to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-1 victory over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
Woodruff (6-2) allowed only two hits and struck out eight as he bounced back from his worst start of the season last Sunday at Toronto and helped the Brewers (88-55) win for the third time in four games.
It was Woodruff’s second start since July 21 of at least six innings with two hits allowed. After giving up a two-out single to Bryan Reynolds in the bottom of the first, Woodruff retired the next 15 batters before surrendering a two-out single to Jared Triolo. Woodruff then struck out Spencer Horwitz to end the inning.
Reynolds and Triolo each had two hits to lead the Pirates (64-79), who lost back-to-back games for the first time since Aug. 16-17.
Oneil Cruz drove in Pittsburgh’s lone run on an RBI groundout in the ninth which scored Reynolds.
The Brewers’ beleaguered bullpen, which has five of its top relievers on the injured list, sealed Milwaukee’s win when Aaron Ashby struck out Nick Yorke to end the game and pick up his third save.
Bauers broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when he belted a 94.4-mph fastball from Pirates starter Mitch Keller (6-14) over the right-center field fence. Bauers got the green light on a 3-0 count with two outs and hit his first home run since June 10.
Keller allowed only those two runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings, struck out four and did not issue a walk.
Milwaukee added some insurance in the eighth when Sal Frelick singled and Chourio launched a ball over the left-field fence off reliever Evan Sisk to push the Brewers’ lead to four runs. It was Chourio’s 19th home run of the season. Frelick had two hits.
In the top of the fifth inning, a foul ball off the bat of Brewers’ center fielder Blake Perkins hit Pirates catcher Henry Davis in the jaw. Davis was looked at by Pittsburgh’s trainer, but remained in the game.
