Brewers 10, Pirates 4
MILWAUKEE -- Yovani Gallardo held Pittsburgh to two runs over seven innings and hit his second home run of the season as the Brewers beat Pittsburgh 10-4 on Monday night at Miller Park.
Gallardo allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out five in his longest outing of the season. His day was made easier by the Brewers offense, which sprung to life with five home runs Monday, a day after being shut out by Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.
Three of those home runs came off Pirates starter Wandy Rodriguez, who came into the game with a 2-0 record and 1.66 ERA in four starts this season. He never got into a rhythm against Milwaukee and was tagged for seven runs on six hits and four walks.
Pittsburgh relievers fared only slightly better, surrendering back-to-back homers in the fifth inning as Milwaukee broke open the game and tied a season high by scoring 10 runs.
Brewers batters also belted four triples and a pair of doubles, part of a 13-hit attack led by Jean Segura, who hit his second home run of the season and missed his third by mere inches, finishing the day just a double shy of the cycle.
Pittsburgh's lone offensive bright spot was Garrett Jones, who hit a two-run home run in the eighth off Alfredo Figaro, his third of the season, and finished the day 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Rodriguez's good start to the season came to a screeching halt with a five-run first inning that started with walk to Norichika Aoki to open the inning before Segura hit his blast.
Milwaukee would add three more in the first and after the Pirates made it 5-2 in the third, the Brewers added two more in the fourth off home runs by Gallardo and Aoki. Rodriguez got Segura to ground out to second for the first out but after Braun reached on an error by Barmes, Hurdle went to the bullpen and Rodriguez's day was done after just 3 2/3 innings.
NOTES: Milwaukee has dominated Pittsburgh, posting a 69-24 record against the Pirates since the 2007 season -- the best record by one team against another in all of baseball. The Brewers are 44-7 against the Pirates in Milwaukee during that same stretch. ... Brewers relievers are 3-1 with a 1.8 ERA, and 6-for-7 in save opportunities in their last 15 games. ... Andrew McCutchen hit .455 (15-for-33) with two doubles, four home runs, 10 RBI and had a .939 slugging percentage at Miller Park last season.