MILWAUKEE — Whether it’s been called Miller Park or American Family Field, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers has been anything but hospitable to the Pirates over the years. In fact, it’s been downright nasty.
Pittsburgh was 57-110 all-time in this ballpark before Friday’s game, including a ridiculous run from May 4, 2007-Aug. 14, 2011 where the Pirates lost 34 of 36.
So, coming off a loss where the Pirates likely had a sour taste in their mouths — bad Mitch Keller start, a chance to take three of four from a really good Padres team — this seemed like an odd place to get things right.
Adam Frazier, Colin Moran, JT Brubaker and Gregory Polanco had different ideas, as they played important roles in a 6-1 victory for the Pirates that helped them win for the fifth time in their past seven following a six-game losing skid.
Moran and Polanco homered. Frazier had a pair of hits, including a two-run triple that broke things open in the fifth, and Brubaker delivered the best start of the season for a Pirates pitcher.
The right-hander went six innings and allowed an earned run on four hits. Brubaker walked nobody — though he did hit three — threw 54 of his 83 pitches for strikes and racked up eight strikeouts.
Two of those actually came at the end of the outing, too. Brubaker struck out catcher Omar Narvaez looking on a 93.8-mph sinker and caught pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach staring at a nasty slider.
Interestingly, Brubaker had success with the hard stuff against the Brewers. Six of his eight strikeouts came on sinkers or four-seam fastballs, the other two on sliders. Brubaker also got five of his eight strikeouts looking.
While the offense did its part, the defense helped Brubaker with a couple of key plays. Phillip Evans barehanded a ball and made a terrific, off-balance throw to nail shortstop Luis Urias to open the fifth inning. Jacob Stallings caught right fielder Avisail Garcia trying to steal second in the sixth.
After a Moran homer in the second supplied the Pirates’ first run, Frazier broke things open with his triple in the fifth.
Kevin Newman and Dustin Fowler led off with back-to-back singles, and Brubaker failed to get a bunt down. With a left-handed hitter at the plate, Brewers manager Craig Counsell played the matchup and brought in lefty Brent Suter. But Frazier got a curveball out over the plate, turned on it and sent it screaming into the right-field corner.
The hit gave Frazier 34 RBIs against Milwaukee, seven more than he has against anyone else.
Pittsburgh stretched its lead to 4-0 when Bryan Reynolds followed with a run-scoring double to right field, scoring Frazier.
Facing Milwaukee starter Adrian Houser — a pitcher he’s hit quite well throughout his career — Moran worked a 2-1 count and drove an outside change-up over the fence in left for his third homer of the season.
It helped him improve to 7 for 10 lifetime against Houser, with a pair of home runs and three RBIs. Meanwhile, it was his eighth RBI out of the No. 4 spot in the order. Only San Diego’s Eric Hosmer (9) has more among National League cleanup hitters.
Brubaker enjoyed a terrific start, with six up and six down through the first two innings on just 14 pitches before running into trouble in the third.
Urias led off with a double. Brubaker then got two strikeouts before plunking center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and first baseman Keston Hiura to load the bases.
A nine-pitch battle with third baseman Travis Shaw ensued. The 11,967 here roared. Brubaker came out on top by getting Shaw — the Brewers’ RBI leader with 12 — to swing through a 93.4 mph sinker, leaving the bases loaded.
The Brewers scored their only run in the fifth, when second baseman Jace Peterson singled with one out and scored when the next batter, left fielder Tyrone Taylor, whacked a first-pitch slider for a run-scoring double to center.
This was one Shaw will want to forget.
The Brewers rallied in the seventh and loaded the bases against Chris Stratton. But after manager Derek Shelton played his matchup, calling on Sam Howard to face the lefty batter, a flyout to center capped an 0-for-4 day in which Shaw stranded eight.
The Pirates added on in the next half-inning, getting a two-run home run from Polanco off of Milwaukee’s Devin Williams.
It was the second homer for Polanco in the past three days after the right fielder crushed one off of former teammate Joe Musgrove on Wednesday.
