PITTSBURGH _ The Milwaukee Brewers' offense continues to scuffle at PNC Park.
But with how well the pitching staff has performed through the first two games of the series, it hasn't really mattered.
Domingo Santana homered in the fourth inning, and Chase Anderson, Anthony Swarzak and Corey Knebel made it stand up the rest of the way as the Brewers shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second straight night on Tuesday, this time by a score of 1-0.
Anderson turned in his best start since returning from the disabled list, striking out eight over six innings, and Swarzak and Knebel followed with a combined three innings of lights-out relief.
The Brewers, meanwhile, moved back to 11 games over .500, tying the high-water mark for the season they'd initially set on July 15. They also clinched a non-losing season with their 81st victory _ an unexpected yet big milestone for the still-rebuilding club.
The Central Division-leading Chicago Cubs also won on Tuesday, so Milwaukee remained 3{ games behind in that chase. The team trailed the Colorado Rockies by two games for the second NL wild card, with the Rockies playing late.
For the second time in as many nights, a solo homer got the Brewers into the lead. This time it was Santana, who lifted one just over the short wall and into the front row in left for his 26th of the season.
Anderson, who came in having won his last two outings and four of six since returning from his seven-week stint on the DL, scattered a pair of singles in the opening two innings.
He went on to set down 10 straight after that, mixing in four strikeouts before pulling off a terrific escape act in the sixth.
Adam Frazier opened with a single and moved to second on an errant pickoff throw by Anderson. Starling Marte followed by dropping down a bunt single, and he quickly stole second on Stephen Vogt to put runners into scoring position with the heart of the Pittsburgh order up.
Anderson (11-3) fanned Andrew McCutchen for the first out, then got cleanup man Josh Bell to fly out to center. Brett Phillips, who ended Monday's 3-0 shutout by gunning down Gregory Polanco at second base, uncorked another laser of a throw home to keep Frazier from tagging and trying to score.
Polanco, up next, popped out to Orlando Arcia to complete Anderson's escape job.
In a 99-pitch outing _ his longest since throwing 102 against San Diego on June 17 _ the right-hander allowed five singles while striking out eight. That total tied for Anderson's second-best output of the year, which came previously on June 11 against Arizona.
Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams departed after five innings, essentially shutting down Milwaukee's offense aside from the Santana homer. The Brewers fared no better against the four relievers that followed, managing only four baserunners.
In fact, the offensive highlight after that Santana homer was probably the 12-pitch walk that Phillips drew from Dovydas Neverauskas in the seventh. That put two on with one out, but Jonathan Villar grounded out and Eric Thames struck out to end the threat.
Swarzak took over for Anderson in the seventh and continued his recent strong play by allowing only an infield single in a two-inning stint _ his first as a member of the Brewers. He's now unscored upon in his last eight outings, a total of 91/3 innings.
Knebel struck out a pair in the ninth to save his 21st straight game and 37th overall.
The second consecutive shutout gives the Brewers 12 on the season.
