Brewers top Pirates to avoid sweep
MILWAUKEE -- Scooter Gennett and Chris Carter homered while Chase Anderson struck out six as the Milwaukee Brewers avoided a sweep with a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night at Miller Park.
Anderson (9-11) worked into the sixth inning and held the Pirates to a run on four hits with a walk. He's allowed just three runs over his last four starts.
The only blemish on Anderson's record Thursday was a solo home run by Francisco Cervelli in the fifth inning -- his first since Sept. 30 of last season.
Andrew McCutchen had two hits including a double in the sixth that chased Anderson but the Pirates, who combined for five hits on the day, had only two chances with runners in scoring position and came up empty both times.
Tyler Thornburg worked around a two-out walk in the ninth for his 12th save.
Ryan Vogelsong allowed two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out seven over four innings of work.
A perfect 4-0 in nine previous starts at Miller Park, Vogelsong found himself in an early hole when Jonathan Villar led off with a walk then stole his 58th base of the season in the first inning and Gennett followed with a two-run shot to left that the Brewers their first lead of the series.
Anderson settled in from there and retired 11 consecutive batters before Cervelli put the Pirates on the board with a solo home run to right.
NOTES: LF Ryan Braun returned to the Brewers' starting lineup Thursday after missing Milwaukee's previous two games to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's second child. ... OF Starling Marte returned to the Pirates' starting lineup after missing the previous 15 games because of back spasms. ... Hernan Perez made his first start of the season in CF Thursday; Perez has now started at six positions for Milwaukee in 2016, and appeared at each position except pitcher and catcher. ... Brewers OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, battling a sports hernia, received a cortisone injection Thursday but isn't sure whether he will return this season. ... Pittsburgh acquired veteran RHP Phil Coke from the Yankees Thursday in exchange for cash considerations. Coke worked six innings for the Yankees this season but spent most of the year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where went 5-3 with a 2.96 ERA in 20 appearances, including 11 starts. Manager Clint Hurdle said Coke would provide multiple-inning depth in the Pirates' bullpen.