Brewers 4, Pirates 1
PITTSBURGH -- Taylor Jungmann pitched one-run ball over seven innings to win his major league debut and fellow rookie Jason Rogers had two hits, including a home run and two RBIs as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Jungmann (1-0) checked the Pirates on just three hits while striking out five and walking one. He was the Brewers' first-round draft pick in 2011 from the University of Texas.
That provided quite a contrast to the 25-year-old right-hander's performance with Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Pacific Coast League, where he went 2-3 with a 6.37 ERA in 11 games, though his ERA was 3.92 over his last three starts.
Rogers, playing first base in place of Adam Lind against a left-handed starting pitcher, hit his second homer of the season in the top of the first inning to open the scoring. He and shortstop Jean Segura each had two hits for the Brewers.
Third baseman Aramis Ramirez also drove in two runs and capped the scoring with a solo home, his seventh of the season, in the ninth inning. He also drove in the winning run during a two-run rally in the seventh inning.
Closer Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save.
The Brewers (22-37) have the worst record in the major leagues but won for the fourth time in five games and seventh time in 10 games. They won consecutive games against the Pirates for the first time in 14 meetings and can sweep the three-game series Wednesday night.
Pirates lefty Francisco Liriano (3-5) had his three-start winning streak snapped. He gave up three runs and five hits in eight innings with one walk and six strikeouts while falling to 1-4 in six home starts.
The Pirates (31-27) lost for the fifth time in 18 games and took back-to-back defeats for the first time since May 19-20 against the Minnesota Twins.
Left fielder Starling Marte accounted for the Pirates' lone run with his 12th home run in the bottom of the second inning, answering Rogers' drive.
The Brewers broke the 1-1 tie with two runs in the seventh inning off Liriano.
Left fielder Ryan Braun drew a leadoff walk and took third on center fielder Carlos Gomez's single. Braun then scored when Ramirez hit a dribbler that Liriano fielded but had only a play at first base. Rogers singled in Gomez.
Both teams scored a run in the second inning.
Rogers homered to left field, his second, to put the Brewers ahead 1-0. Marte reached over the fence and nearly made a great catch, but the ball bounced off his glove.
NOTES: The Brewers recalled RHP Taylor Jungmann from Triple-A Colorado Springs and he made his major league debut by starting the middle game of the three-game series. INF Luis Sardinas was optioned to Colorado Springs. ... Milwaukee RHP Johnny Hellweg, who had Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery in April 2013, was activated from the 60-day disabled list and optioned to high Class A Brevard County, where he will begin his comeback. ... Brewers INF Hernan Perez started at second base for the fourth time in six games since being claimed from Detroit off waivers. ... Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen returned to the lineup after sitting out Monday night's loss to the Brewers while being given a rest. McCutchen has missed just two of the first 58 games despite playing all season with a sore left knee. ... Milwaukee RHP Kyle Lohse (3-6, 6.50) will face Pittsburgh RHP Charlie Morton (3-0, 2.84) on Wednesday night in the series finale.