Recap: Milwaukee vs. Pittsburgh
Sports Network | August 22, 2008
Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - J.J. Hardy homered and doubled, as the Milwaukee Brewers used a six-run seventh to down the Pirates, 10-4, in the first game of a weekend set at Miller Park.
Ryan Braun had two hits while driving in a run and scoring two more in his first game back after missing two with lower back tightness. Mike Cameron homered and drove in two runs for the Brewers, who won for the third time in four games.
Dave Bush (8-9) continued his stellar August, posting his third win of the month. The righty went seven innings, allowing three runs and seven hits while fanning two and walking one.
Milwaukee picked up a game on the NL Central-leading Cubs, climbing to within 4 1/2 games of the division lead after Chicago lost to the Nationals earlier Friday, 13-5.
Zach Duke (4-12) extended his winless streak to 13 starts, throwing six innings and allowing four runs on six hits while striking out four and walking two.
Nyjer Morgan went 2-for-4 and scored a run while Brandon Moss added a homer for the Pirates, losers of six of their last eight.
The Brewers took the lead for good in the fourth. Braun reached on an infield single and advanced to second due to an errant throw from third baseman Andy LaRoche. After Prince Fielder walked, Corey Hart drove both runners in with a double to right-center and went to third on Jason Michaels' throwing error.
Cameron worked a walk to put runners on the corners, and Bill Hall hit a sacrifice fly for a 3-2 lead.
Hardy's 20th home run of the season in the fifth inning gave Milwaukee a 4-2 advantage.
Moss pulled the Pirates to within one with a solo shot off Bush to lead off the seventh inning.
Milwaukee had a huge inning off Denny Bautista and Sean Burnett in the home half of the seventh. Pinch-hitter Laynce Nix led off with a walk, and Rickie Weeks tripled him home for a 5-3 lead. Hardy then doubled to drive home Weeks for a three-run cushion and Braun doubled to plate one more, ending Bautista's stint on the mound.
After stealing third off Burnett, Braun scored on Fielder's RBI groundout to make it 8-3. Hart was then hit by a pitch and Cameron added to the onslaught, driving a two-run homer to right for a seven-run lead.
Raul Chavez hit an RBI single for Pittsburgh in the eighth to plate Freddy Sanchez, who doubled, to cap the scoring at 10-4.
The Pirates manufactured a run in the top of the first. Morgan led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a Sanchez groundout. Doumit followed with an RBI groundout to score Morgan.
Duke helped himself out in the second, blooping a two-out single to center to score Jack Wilson, who doubled a batter earlier.
The Brewers lead the season series 6-1...Earlier Friday the Pirates reinstated Doug Mientkiewicz from the bereavement list. He had been attending to his wife, who had heart surgery earlier this week. The club also optioned Steve Pearce to Triple-A Indianapolis...Hart went 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored...Milwaukee has sold out 19 consecutive home games and 35 games overall, both franchise records.
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