One night after the Milwaukee Brewers overcame a late four-run deficit, the Pittsburgh Pirates returned the favor.
Matching a four-run rally by the Brewers in the seventh inning to draw even, the Pirates went on to take an 8-6 victory Tuesday night at PNC Park to even the series.
The previous evening, the Brewers overcame a four-run deficit in the ninth inning before eventually pulling out a 6-5 decision in 11 innings.
Making the blown lead even tougher to take, the Brewers lost starter Josh Lindblom to back cramps in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was a frustrating early exit for Lindblom, who was making his first appearance in the majors since 2017 and first start since 2014.
Lindblom had a 1-2 count on John Ryan Murphy in the fifth inning with two on, two down and two runs in when he stepped gingerly off the mound, drawing a visit from manager Craig Counsell and athletic trainer Scott Barringer. That was the end of his night, a disappointing result after such a long wait to pitch again in the majors.
Using his full repertoire of pitches to keep hitters off-balance, Lindblom blanked the Pirates for four innings. A leadoff walk by Colin Moran and bloop single by Bryan Reynolds put runners on the corners with no outs in the second inning but Lindblom responded brilliantly, striking out Phillip Evans, Guillermo Heredia and Murphy to snuff that threat.
The Pirates finally broke through in the fourth when Moran walked with one down and moved to third on a double into the right-field corner by Reynolds. After a walk to Evans loaded the bases, Heredia laced a first-pitch slider up in the zone to left field for a two-run single.
Lindblom struck out Cole Tucker on a curveball in the dirt but his night came to an end during Murphy’s at-bat.
Lorenzo Cain led off the game with a single for the Brewers but it was a whole lot of nothing after that for the Brewers against Holland, a journeyman who posted a 6.08 earned run average in 51 appearances (eight starts) for the Giants and Cubs. Avisaíl Garcia walked with one down in the second but was picked off by Holland.
Holland plunked Hiura with a pitch to open the fourth but Christian Yelich’s season-opening slump continued as he grounded into a double play. Ryan Braun drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch but Jedd Gyorko struck out and that was the end of that.
The Brewers finally collected their second hit off Holland in the sixth inning, and it was a big one. After Cain drew a one-out walk, Hiura jumped on a 2-0 curveball and drove it out to the deepest part of the ballpark in left-center for a two-run homer that tied the game.
Pittsburgh’s pitchers decided to be generous in the seventh inning and the Brewers took advantage. Relivers Chris Stratton and Miguel Del Pozo each walked two hitters with no outs, snapping the 2-2 tie.
Orlando Arcia barely missed a grand slam, sending a drive high off the tall wall in right-center for a two-run double. After an intentional walk to Cain loaded the bases, Geoff Hartlieb replaced Del Pozo and surrendered a sacrifice fly to center, putting the Brewers on top, 6-2.
The Pirates came right back with four runs in what became a debacle of an inning for both sides. Reliever Brent Suter allowed two singles and a hit batter to load the bases with no outs, then walked Kevin Newman to force in a run.
Suter retired Josh Bell on a pop up but first baseman Justin Smoak fielded Moran’s grounder and fired a high throw into left field as two runs scored. Corey Knebel took over for Suter and struck out Reynolds but Evans laced a double to center to tie the game, 6-6.
The Brewers had a change to go back on top in the eighth when Braun surprised the Pirates with a bunt hit, moved up on a throwing error and advanced to third on Eric Sogard’s single. But Braun tried to score on García’s fly to medium left and was thrown out with room to spare by Reynolds, keeping the score deadlocked.
The Pirates then came all the way back when Adam Frazier hammered a long two-run homer off Bobby Wahl in the eighth to go on top, 8-6.
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July 29, 2020 at 09:40AM
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Pirates 8, Brewers 6: Pittsburgh returns the favor by overcoming late four-run deficit - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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