Kevin Newman homered and left-hander Tyler Anderson pitched seven shutout innings Sunday as the Pittsburgh Pirates not only snapped their six-game losing streak but also halted the visiting Milwaukee Brewers’ 11-game winning streak with a 2-0 victory.
Anderson (4-8), who often has been the victim of poor run support, got enough this time as he held Milwaukee to three hits, with two walks and six strikeouts.
He combined with David Bednar, who pitched the eighth, and Richard Rodriguez, who allowed one hit in pitching the ninth for his 11th save, on a four-hit shutout.
Wilmer Difo added an RBI double for Pittsburgh.
Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta (7-3) pitched six innings, giving up two runs and three hits, with five walks and seven strikeouts.
With one out in the first, Newman launched his third home run, a shot to left that flirted with going foul, to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead and its only hit through the first five innings.
It was the ninth homer allowed by Peralta this year.
The three hits Anderson gave up were all singles and scattered — Jackie Bradley Jr. in the second, Tyrone Taylor in the third and, after 10 straight batters retired, Avisail Garcia in the sixth.
In the bottom half of the sixth with one out, Ben Gamel singled to center for Pittsburgh’s second hit. Difo followed with a crack down the line in left. The ball caromed off a protruding portion of the stands and away from Taylor in left.
Shortstop Willy Adames rushed over to get the ball, but by then Gamel was able to score to make it 2-0, and Difo was safely at second.
Peralta walked Phillip Evans and Jared Oliva, sandwiched around a strikeout, to load the bases. The Pirates had Gregory Polanco on deck as a potential pinch-hitter, but instead brought some boos from the stands when manager Derek Shelton stuck with Anderson, a light-hitting pitcher who struck out to end the inning.
Anderson rewarded the move by running through the seventh in a quick 1-2-3 succession.
–Field Level Media
