Brewers go deep often to beat Pirates

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE

Christian Yelich, Travis Shaw and Mike Moustakas homered to lead the Milwaukee Brewers past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4 Friday night.

Orlando Arcia drove in two runs with a bunt double for the Brewers, who stayed a game and a half behind first-place Chicago in the NL Central.

Yelich belted a two-run homer to center off Pirates starter Chris Archer in the first to give the Brewers an early lead. Shaw followed two batters later with a solo shot to stake Milwaukee to a 3-0 advantage.

The Pirates threatened in the second. With a runner on and one out, Cain leaped above the wall in center, robbing Jordy Mercer of a home run.

Pittsburgh broke through in the third against Milwaukee starter Gio Gonzalez on Jordan Ludlow’s run-scoring triple. Ludlow then scored on Francisco Cervelli’s sacrifice fly.

Pablo Reyes’ first career homer, a solo shot in the fifth, tied the score.

The Brewers regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Jesus Aguilar.

Milwaukee extended the lead to 6-3 in the sixth when Orlando Arcia, batting against Pirates reliever Steven Brault, pushed a bunt down the first-base line that carried into the outfield for a double, driving in two runs. Arcia then stole third but was cut down at the plate trying to score on Cain’s grounder to short.

Moustakas’ solo home run into the second deck in right in the seventh gave the Brewers a four-run advantage.

Pittsburgh pulled within 7-4 in the eighth on Josh Harrison’s RBI double.

Corbin Burns (5-0) picked up the win in relief. Jeremy Jeffress pitched a scoreless ninth to record his 12th save in 17 chances.

Gonzalez, making his second start for the Brewers since being acquired from the Washington Nationals, gave up three hits and three runs in 42/3 innings.

Archer surrendered six hits and four runs in five innings. He slipped to 1-3 in the National League and 4-8 this season after being traded from the Rays in July.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco is expected to be out seven to nine months after undergoing surgery on Wednesday to repair the labrum and stabilize his left shoulder. Polanco dislocated his shoulder on awkward slide into second base last Friday against Miami. “Now is the healing, the rehab, and the strengthening and then the getting ready to play, whenever that is,” manager Clint Hurdle said. . RHP Chad Kuhl, on the disabled list since June with forearm and elbow tightness, is scheduled to re-examined after being unable to throw his scheduled side session earlier this week. . A fifth-inning liner off the bat of Orlando Arcia struck Archer in the right buttock. The pitcher had trouble standing at first, but remained in the game. . Starling Marte was struck by a pitch on the left elbow in the seventh. He stayed in the game.