Brewers 4 - 0 Pirates
Final
  for this game

Gallardo, Brewers blank Pirates

Aug 30, 2013 - 5:40 AM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Yovani Gallardo tossed seven scoreless innings to help the Milwaukee Brewers take two of three from the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 4-0 win from PNC Park.

Gallardo (10-9) needed 93 pitches to get through his start of six-hit ball. The right-hander also struck out five to improve to 11-4 lifetime against the Pirates.

"The main thing is to focus on throwing the ball down," Gallardo said. "If you throw the ball down, they're going to hit ground balls."

Scooter Gennett had three hits and scored a run, while Aramis Ramirez went deep for the second time this series. Carlos Gomez added two hits and Jonathan Lucroy drove in a pair.

Gerrit Cole (6-7) pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his career, allowing four runs -- three earned -- on 10 hits. The 22-year old right-hander struck out four and walked a batter in 7 1/3 innings.

"We played really good defense ... to keep them from putting up crooked numbers," Cole said. "I'm just glad we were able to be there and minimize as much as we could."

The Pirates, who lost for the fourth time in five contests, sit a game behind the idle St. Louis Cardinals for the National League Central division lead. Pittsburgh hosts the Cardinals for three games this weekend.

Lucroy muscled a pitch to right field in the first inning, plating Jean Segura, as Milwaukee broke through with a first-inning run for just the second time in its last 30 games.

Milwaukee added its second run an inning later when Khris Davis swung with a 3-0 count and smacked a double off the wall in right field. Gomez, who led off the frame with a single up the middle before stealing second, scored without a throw.

Ramirez belted his ninth homer of the year off Cole in the top of the fourth, a shot to right-center.

Gennett and Segura sprayed consecutive singles to put runners on the corners with one away in the eighth inning, chasing Cole from the contest. Lucroy came to the plate to face Bryan Morris and drove in Gennett with a sac fly to center.

Brandon Kintzler took over for Gallardo in the eighth and pitched the final two innings.

Game Notes

John Buck, acquired along with Marlon Byrd from the Mets earlier this week, went 3-for-3 in his Pirates debut ... The Brewers are 4-2 in their last six games ... Milwaukee grounded into four double plays.






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