Kevin Correia gave up five hits and four runs in the first inning and the Pirates never recovered. Pittsburgh was held in check and without a hit until the fifth inning by Zach Greinke. A five run fifth pulled the Pirates to within a single tally. But the Beer Makers scored a trio of runs against the Pirates bullpen.
It got ugly from the start. Correia yielded a single to the first two hitters (Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez) before Ryan Braun dingered. One out later Casey McGehee also homered. Braun was up again in the second. This time he tripled in Gomez who had walked. Milwaukee added one without the benefit of an at bat from Braun in the third as McGehee doubled and scored on a double from Jonathan Lucroy.
Pittsburgh got its first hit of the game in the fifth in the form of a lead off tater from Neil Walker. Two outs later, Chris Snyder and Ronny Cedeno hit consecutive doubles to make it 6-2. Steve Pearce pinch hit for Correia and doubled in Cedeno. Andrew McCutchen tripled and Pearce scored to make it 6-4. Jose Tabata’s single plated Cutch and suddenly it was 6-5. Garrett Jones struck out to end the inning.
Then the Brewers got busy against the relievers. Chris Resop relieved Correia and gave up a two run blast to Jonathan Lucroy in the bottom of the fifth. Casey McGehee reached on a Pedro Alvarez error in the seventh. He would later score on a wild pitch, marking the first run Daniel Moskos has given up as a big leaguer. It was unearned.
Pittsburgh did make it interesting in the ninth off of John Axford. Three straight singles (to Alvarez, Brandon Wood and Cedeno) put one run in. Ryan Doumit’s grounder advanced both runners a base. McCutchen was walked to load the bases. But Jose Tabata hit into a game ending double play.
Game. Set. Match. It’s a sweep.
Correia’s line in four innings was six earned runs on eight hits. He struck out one and walked two. Greinke was the winner. He lasted five innings and gave up all five Pirate runs on six hits. He struck out five.
The Good
I don’t know the last time the Pirates had four consecutive extra base hits like they did in the fifth inning. It wasn’t enough, but it was good.
Alvarez and Cedeno each had two hits.
The Bad
Getting swept.
Continuing to play poorly in Milwaukee. Can we trade them to the AL in exchange for Toronto? I want to see Jose Bautista again.
The Rest
Greinke has won both his career starts against Pittsburgh.
This is the second straight start that Correia surrendered at least five runs.
Two of the five MLBers who played at Notre Dame are on the Brewers – Craig Counsell and John Axford.
Pittsburgh has had four extra base hits in a single game just three times in May.
Alvarez had his second two hit game of the month. It isn’t fair to compare and I quite obviously would rather have Pedro Alvarez at third now and in the future, but through games of 5/15/10, Andy LaRoche was hitting .274 with seven RBI and 16 runs scored.
