Brewers 4, Pirates 1
MILWAUKEE -- Gerardo Parra drove in two runs and Mike Fiers struck out seven as the Milwaukee Brewers kicked off the second half of the season on a high note with a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night at Miller Park.
Fiers (5-7) worked seven innings and held the Pirates to three hits and a walk to win his second consecutive decision.
With the Brewers leading 2-0, third baseman Jung Ho Kang tagged Fiers for a solo home run in the seventh, but Milwaukee answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Left-hander Will Smith and right-hander Francisco Rodriguez combined for two scoreless innings to close it out, with Rodriguez picking up his 20th save in as many chances this season.
Pittsburgh got six innings from right-hander Charlie Morton (6-3), who struck out two and gave up four runs, five hits and three walks.
Parra led off the bottom of the first inning with a double, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Jonathan Lucroy and scored on right fielder Ryan Braun's groundout to second.
The Brewers put two on in the second, but Morton got out of the jam by retiring Fiers.
Fiers found himself in a bit of a tough spot in the fifth, with two on and two outs after an intentional walk to shortstop Jordy Mercer. But Fiers escaped the jam, fanning Morton on a fastball to end the inning.
Brewers second baseman Scooter Gennett reached in the fifth after he was plunked by Morton, then moved to third on a sacrifice by Fiers. That brought up Parra, who hit his second double of the game, driving in Gennett and putting the Brewers up 2-0.
NOTES: Pittsburgh recalled OF Jaff Decker from Triple-A Indianapolis. He was batting .275 (49-for-178) with nine doubles, a triple, three home runs and 24 RBIs in 54 games with the Indians this season. He takes the place of RHP Wilfredo Boscan, who was optioned to Indianapolis. ... Brewers manager Craig Counsell said RHP Matt Garza will return to the rotation Tuesday against Cleveland. Garza has been on the disabled list since July 6 with fatigue in his right shoulder. ... The Pirates will play 11 of their next 15 games on the road, where they had won three in a row and six of their last nine before Friday. ... Milwaukee is an MLB-worst 16-28 at home this season. ... The series continues Saturday, with Brewers RHP Jimmy Nelson (6-9, 4.21 ERA) taking on Pittsburgh LHP Francisco Liriano (5-6, 2.98).