Vogelsong beats Brewers in start



The Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak.
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Ryan Vogelsong started for the traded Kris Benson and threw five strong innings Saturday to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-1.
Vogelsong (3-7) gave up three hits and one run in his first start since June 23 when he was sent to the bullpen following a seven-game losing streak. He struck out four and walked one.
Vogelsong also doubled in a run in the Pirates' three-run second inning.
Benson was traded to the New York Mets on Friday in a five-player deal in which the Pirates obtained infielders Ty Wigginton and Jose Bautista and pitcher Matt Peterson. Wigginton made his first start for Pittsburgh at third base and went 0-for-4.'
Streak snapped
The Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak in which they were shut out twice. They improved to 9-2 this season against Milwaukee when Jose Mesa pitched the ninth for his 30th save in 32 chances.
Victor Santos (9-6) took the loss, lasting just five innings. He gave up four runs on seven hits and struck out six in his shortest outing since June 20.
Pittsburgh scored three times in the second inning with two outs. Tike Redman singled off Santos' glove, stole second and scored on Bobby Hill's single. Vogelsong doubled down the left-field line for his second career RBI, and he scored on Jason Kendall's single.
Geoff Jenkins homered to left-center to lead off the fourth, cutting the Brewers' deficit to 3-1, but the Pirates added an unearned run in the fifth. Kendall reached on a throwing error by third baseman Wes Helms and scored when Jason Bay was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The error was Helms' 11th in 61 games.
Vogelsong entered with a 6.69 ERA but had done well out of the bullpen recently, giving up two runs in seven innings over five appearances.
Santos was 7-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 11 starts during June and July. He had surrendered three earned runs in his last three starts combined, the last two being losses in which he got very little offensive support.
The Pirates' offense had struggled just as much recently.
Pittsburgh went more than 26 innings without an extra-base hit before Jack Wilson doubled in the first Saturday. Wilson was 3-for-5 with a single, double and triple.
PITTSBURGHMILWAUKEE
abrhbiabrhbi
Kendall c5111Pdsdnk cf4010
JWilsn ss5030BClark rf4000
Mckwk rf4010Jenkins lf4111
CWilsn 1b4000Helms 3b4000
Bay lf3001Ovrbay 1b3020
TRdmn cf4120BHall 2b3000
Wggntn 3b4000GBnntt c3010
Hill 2b3111Cunsell ss3000
Castillo 2b1000VSants p0000
Vglsng p2111Grieve ph1000
JBtista ph1000Burba p0000
Grabow p0000Wise p0000
Mdows p0000Brnyan ph1000
Gnzalez p0000Kinney p0000
ANunez ph1010
Mesa p0000
Totals374104Totals30151
Pittsburgh030010000--4
Milwaukee000100000--1
E--Helms (11). DP--Pittsburgh 2. LOB--Pittsburgh 7, Milwaukee 3. 2B--JWilson (24), Vogelsong (2). 3B--JWilson (8). HR--Jenkins (15). SB--TRedman (11). CS--ANunez (3).
IPHRERBBSO
Pittsburgh
Vogelsong W,3-7531114
Grabow110001
Meadows110001
Gonzalez100001
Mesa S,30100000
Milwaukee
VSantos L,9-6574306
Burba210001
Wise110001
Kinney110000
HBP--by VSantos (Bay). Umpires--Home, Marty Foster; First, Mike Fichter; Second, Tim Tschida; Third, Jeff Nelson. T--2:34. A--35,152.
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