Plenty of power from both sides
Home runs support Woodruff ’s gem
A little bit of offense and a whole lot of Brandon Woodruff.
It was a simple but effective recipe for success for the Milwaukee Brewers, who rode home runs from Ben Gamel and Keston Hiura and a dominant performance from their budding ace to a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Wednesday night.
Gamel's two-run shot in the third staked Woodruff to an early lead and Hiura added a solo shot in the sixth, but the way the right-hander was pitching he didn't need the additional insurance.
In 61⁄3 innings, Woodruff gave up only an infield single and a walk while striking out 10.
David Phelps, Devin Williams and Josh Hader picked up behind Woodruff and the foursome limited the Pirates to a lone single as the Brewers finished their first road trip of the abbreviated 2020 season with a .500 record at 3-3.
Woodruff, the hard-luck loser in the opener, was dialed in from the start.
He struck out Adam Frazier to open, allowed an infield squibber to Phillip Evans and then proceeded to retire the next 17 batters he faced while not allowing only a ball out of the infield with nine strikeouts.
Pirates right-hander Joe Musgrove was on his game as well, but a two-batter sequence in the third cost him after Avisaíl García laced a one-out double to right and Gamel followed with a booming homer over the stands in right.
Staked to the 2-0 lead, the Brewers were in position to tack on when Eric Sogard drew a walk and was on second as Hiura singled to left.
Sogard appeared to get a good jump but was an easy out at home after a spot-on throw by Bryan Reynolds, who also gunned down Ryan Braun at home in Tuesday's loss.
Hiura did get some payoff in his next at-bat when he was able to squeak a leadoff homer – his second in as many games – in the sixth just over the wall in right-center to up Milwaukee's lead to 3-0.
Musgrove left after 52⁄3 innings and the Brewers had some luck against Dovydas Neverauskas and Robbie Erlin after that but couldn't push any more insurance runs across.
Woodruff 's incredible run ended when Evans drew a leadoff walk in the seventh and one batter later his night was finished after 92 pitches. It ended with a 97-mph sinker in the dirt chased by slugger Josh Bell.
It was Woodruff 's fourth career game with 10 or more strikeouts. His career high is 12, set last June in a victory over the Reds.
He was replaced by David Phelps, who picked up the victory in Monday's 11-inning thriller against the Pirates, and he struck out both Colin Moran and Reynolds to strand Evans.
With Milwaukee's offense back in neutral, Devin Williams contributed a 12-3 eighth and Josh Hader followed suit in the ninth for his first save.