Oneil Cruz’s three-run homer and Tyler Heineman’s go-ahead RBI single helped the Pittsburgh Pirates snap a seven-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.
Pittsburgh starter Bryse Wilson pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up three runs and six hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
Colin Holderman (5-0), in his Pirates debut, tossed one scoreless inning. Wil Crowe struck out three while pitching around a single in the ninth for his third save.
Willy Adames, Rowdy Tellez and Kolten Wong all homered in the sixth inning for the Brewers, who have lost two in a row.
Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes (8-5) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs and three hits. He struck out six and walked a career-high five.
The Pirates threatened a couple times early. In the second inning, Ben Gamel led off with a triple down the line in right. Two outs later, Cruz walked and stole second, but Burnes struck out Josh VanMeter to get out of it.
In the third with two outs, Burnes hit Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes with pitches, then walked Gamel to load the bases. Bligh Madris grounded out to end the threat.
The game was scoreless until Wilson’s first pitch of the sixth, which Adames lined to left for a 1-0 Brewers lead. The next batter, Tellez, went to a full count before launching a homer to center to make it 2-0. It was the 21st homer for each.
After Andrew McCutchen grounded out, Wong hit his eighth homer, to right-center, to increase the gap to 3-0 and chase Wilson for Holderman, who was acquired from the New York Mets in a July 22 trade. Holderman got a flyout and groundout sandwiching a walk to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Madris and Cal Mitchell drew back-to-back walks with one out. Cruz launched his seventh homer, to center, to tie the game 3-3. An ensuing walk to VanMeter ended Burnes’ night, as Brad Boxberger entered.
After VanMeter stole second, Heineman gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead when he singled down the line in right to drive in VanMeter, then went to third on Adames’ throwing error at short. Heineman scored on catcher Victor Caratini’s passed ball to make it 5-3.
–Field Level Media
