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Lohse puts unbeaten streak on the line vs. Pirates

Jun 6, 2014 - 2:50 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - History suggests that Kyle Lohse will eventually lose another start, but the way that the veteran has been pitching lately, perhaps it won't be soon.

Lohse aims for an eighth straight victory on Friday night when his Milwaukee Brewers open a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He tossed his first complete game of 2014 -- a 9-0 masterpiece against the Chicago Cubs -- in his most recent outing on Sunday, striking out six, allowing three hits and walking none.

Lohse hasn't lost since his first start of the season on April 1 and has beaten the Pirates twice since while tossing 15 innings, striking out 14 batters and compiling a 1.20 earned run average.

In fact, he's not lost to Pittsburgh since 2011 and is 11-2 against the Pirates in 21 starts.

Milwaukee has won six of its last nine games overall and eight of 10 against Pittsburgh this season.

The Pirates have also been hot lately, winning five of seven to finish a 10- game road trip and eight of their last 11 at home.

Right-hander Brandon Cumpton, who's compiled a 2.60 ERA at home, gets the start for Pittsburgh after allowing 11 runs and 11 hits while retiring 11 batters in a 12-2 loss on Saturday to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 11 runs are the most allowed by a pitcher in any game this season.

"It's only one start. I've gotten beaten around before and I'm sure it's going to happen again," Cumpton said. "But I'm not going to hang my head over it."

He has never faced the Brewers.

On Thursday in Minnesota, Carlos Gomez, Khris Davis and Jonathan Lucroy all belted home runs to power the Brewers to an 8-5 victory over the Twins that completed a four-game, home-and-home set.

Gomez's three-run blast in the fourth inning and Davis' two-run shot in the sixth enabled Milwaukee to overcome an early 4-0 deficit, with Lucroy tacking on a two-run homer in the ninth as part of a 2-for-5 night that helped the Brewers bounce back from two straight losses.

Ryan Braun added three hits and two runs scored, while Wily Peralta halted a five-start winless stretch with aid from a Milwaukee bullpen that combined for four innings of one-run ball. Peralta (5-5) served up a third-inning grand slam to Oswaldo Arcia, but kept Minnesota off the board over the rest of his five frames of work.

On Wednesday in San Diego, the Padres had just one hit in a 3-2 victory over the Pirates.

Everth Cabrera's bunt single in the first inning was the lone hit for the Padres, who scored on a sacrifice fly, an error and a bases-loaded walk.

Andrew McCutchen hit a solo homer for the Pirates. Josh Harrison went 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Francisco Liriano (1-6) got the start for Pittsburgh and gave up three runs -- two earned -- on one hit over five innings. He had six walks and seven strikeouts.

"I don't think I have ever been a part of this situation," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "We didn't quite execute the way we wanted to, kept battling, came up one run short."