5 Brewers pitchers combine to blank Bucs

Associated Press

milwaukee

Marco Estrada hoped to go further, but the Milwaukee Brewers were thrilled with the stellar innings he gave them.

Estrada pitched five innings in a spot start, combining with four relievers on a three-hitter, and Yuniesky Betancourt homered to carry the NL Central-leading Brewers to a 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

“I was trying to give the guys at least six, seven innings,” Estrada said. “Fortunately, it was only five, but you know [it] kept us in the game. That’s all that matters.”

Takashi Saito, LaTroy Hawkins, Francisco Rodriguez and John Axford, who earned his 34th save by working around a leadoff triple in the ninth, completed the shutout.

Pinch-hitter Xavier Paul tripled to center leading off the ninth, but Andrew McCutchen and Matt Diaz both grounded out with the infield drawn in, leaving Paul at third.

After Garrett Jones walked, Axford struck out Neil Walker swinging, but the ball trickled away from catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who pounced on it and threw to first to end the game.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle tipped his cap to Axford, but really thought his team should have been able to plate a run.

“He’s got a quality fastball, big-time breaking ball,” Hurdle said of the Brewers’ closer. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to produce when we had the opportunity. We needed to find a way to score that run and we didn’t do it. You give their closer some credit, but that’s an opportunity that we need to cash in.”

Estrada said the bullpen sealed the victory.

“The bullpen came in and did an outstanding job,” he said. “We got a win. That’s what matters.” Estrada (3-8) took the mound for Chris Narveson, who was placed on the disabled list Wednesday with a cut thumb on his throwing hand.

Kevin Correia (12-11), who leads the majors with 10 wins on the road this season for Pittsburgh, lost for the second time this season at Miller Park.

Estrada retired the first seven batters before Ronny Cedeno lined a single to left with one out in the third. He advanced on Correia’s sacrifice, but second was as far as any Pirate got in five innings as Estrada caught McCutchen looking to end the inning.

Estrada said that “first inning had a lot of adrenaline going” since it had been a while since his last start.

“I told myself to, ‘Relax, calm down. You’ve done this before. Go out there and throw strikes,”’, he said. “And, that’s pretty much what happened.”