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Brewers blank Pirates
AP
Photo
Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt throws to first after forcing out Pittsburgh Pirates' Pedro Alvarez (24) on the front half of a double play Ryan Doumit hit into in the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 13, 2011, in Pittsburgh. The Brewers won 6-0. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH
The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking for a different outcome against Milwaukee this April.
Last season the Pirates entered an April home series against the Brewers at 7-5 but were swept and outscored 36-1 and never were at .500 again en route to their record 18th consecutive losing season.
In comes Milwaukee again, this time dropping the Pirates (5-6) under .500 for the first time this season in a 6-0 win Wednesday behind Shaun Marcum’s seven shutout innings.
“[Marcum] didn’t make any mistakes,” said Pirates first baseman Lyle Overbay, Marcum’s teammate in Toronto last season and the man who broke up his no-hitter with a fifth-inning single Wednesday. “He kept all his pitches down and got a lot of ground balls, and we really didn’t really make a whole lot of solid contact. He did a really good job.”
Prince Fielder homered for the third time in four games as part of a four-run sixth for the Brewers after Pittsburgh starter Kevin Correia hadn’t allowed a hit through five.
First-year Pirates manager Clint Hurdle brushed off the Pirates falling under .500.
“All I’m looking at is how we are executing and if we are getting better,” said Hurdle, whose team has lost four of five after beginning the season by winning consecutive road series for the first time since 2007.
“Tonight we didn’t execute very well and we loss. For the most part, we’ve executed pretty well this season but this time we didn’t.”
Marcum (2-1) kept the Pirates off-balance with his changeup, allowing only four singles with four strikeouts and a walk.
“Very pleased,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “He moved his ball around well, changed speeds, he’s cutting it and he’s sinking it, and he knows when to throw the pitches is the thing.”
Zach Braddock, Kameron Loe and Mitch Stetter finished up Milwaukee’s third shutout this season and second in three games.