The Milwaukee Brewers close out their four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 6 at American Family Field.
Right-hander Dustin May (5-7, 4.38), acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, makes his first start for the Brewers and will be countered by right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (11-4, 3.96) for the Pirates.
If Milwaukee can win, it will not only take the series but also climb to a season-best 29 games over .500.
Gary Sánchez gives the Brewers the lead back with home run, and it’s 4-2, Brewers
Even when he doesn’t seem to get all of it, Brewers catcher Gary Sánchez sure can send a baseball a long way. The home run goes 397 feet to left field, and Milwaukee took a 3-2 lead, then added on when Brice Turang’s hot shot to third ate up third baseman Nick Gonzalez, allowing Cooper Pratt to score.
Pratt doubled with two outs. Jackson Chourio just missed his second homer of the game in the next at-bat, but it was caught at the wall. Milwaukee takes a 4-2 lead into the sixth.
Pittsburgh strings together hits to tie the game, but what a throw by Garrett Mitchell
Pittsburgh has tied the game after three straight batters reached against May after the Lowe home run, with Spencer Horwitz’s bloop single driving in a game-tying run. But on the same play, Garrett Mitchell threw a strike to third base from center field and retired Endy Rodríguez with the first out of the inning.
That loomed large with consecutive flyouts to follow, ending the inning instead of spotting the Pirates a third run.
We head to the bottom of the fourth in a tie game.
First Pirates hit of the day is a home run by Brandon Lowe
Hitting his 24th home run of the year, Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe put a ball over the left-center wall for the first hit of the day against Dustin May. That makes it 2-1, Brewers, with nobody out in the fourth.
Cooper Pratt drives in Brewers’ second run as May through three hitless innings
Cooper Pratt’s line drive to right field goes down as a sacrifice fly, scoring David Hamilton from third after he walked, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Without the benefit of a hit, the Brewers have taken a 2-0 lead on the Pirates in the third.
It was especially impressive for Pratt, who took an inadvertent shot to the groin from Pirates catcher Henry Davis during the stolen base, then spent some time with trainers before returning to the at-bat.
Dustin May has issued a walk and hit batter but no hits so far through three innings, with three strikeouts. Brice Turang made a nifty leaping catch and converted it into a double play to end the second.
Jackson Chourio goes deep for second time this series
For the second time in three days, Jackson Chourio has belted an opposite-field home run, this time just over the wall in right center to spot the Brewers a 1-0 lead over Braxton Ashcraft and the Pirates.
ABS helps Dustin May record first Brewers strikeout
After a leadoff walk to Pirates center fielder Jake Mangum that would have been a good candidate for an ABS review, Dustin May gets his first strikeout as a member of the Brewers with an ABS-aided punchout of Brandon Lowe. Home-plate umpire Sean Barber called a pitch a ball that would have resulted in a full count, but catcher Gary Sánchez asked for the second look.
He then got more traditional swinging strikeouts of Bryan Reynolds and Endy Rodríguez. It took 23 pitches to get through the first but it ended with a scoreless frame and three punchouts.
What channel is the Brewers game on?
Brewers.TV
Brewers lineup
Dustin May, RHP
Pirates lineup
Braxton Ashcraft, RHP
What is the Brewers’ record?
71-43, best in the major leagues.
Brewers probable pitchers and schedule
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Chourio, Sánchez homer in Dustin May’s first Brewers start
Reporting by Todd Rosiak and JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Todd Rosiak and JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
