Brewers 1-Hit Bucs, Win 3-1
PITTSBURGH -- Aaron Ashby combined with four relievers on a one-hitter, Tyrone Taylor singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Neither team got a hit until the sixth inning. Ashby's no-hit bid ended when Bryan Reynolds hit a hard grounder that deflected off the glove of third baseman Mike Brosseau for a single.
Making his second start of the season and sixth of his career, Ashby worked 5 2/3 innings, walking five and striking out six. The rookie left-hander allowed his only run on a double-play grounder in the sixth. Trevor Gott (1-0) came on and struck out Michael Chavis.
Ashby said he never thought seriously about throwing a no-hitter.
"I don't really consider it until you get six innings, seven innings in and turn that lineup over twice," he said.
Ashby threw three no-hitters while playing at Crowder College but called them "kind of like fake."
"They were mercy-rule games," he said with a smile. "They were five-, six-, seven-inning games. I wouldn't call them real no-hitters."
Brad Boxberger, Devin Williams and Josh Hader worked one scoreless inning each. Hader finished for his major league-leading 10th save as NL Central-leading Milwaukee won for the eighth time in 10 games.
The Brewers had four hits on a night when the temperature was 40 degrees at first pitch.
"We pitched well, for sure, and the ball felt like it was going nowhere," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "It didn't feel like a home run was possible with the way the ball was traveling."
Christian Yelich and Hunter Renfroe started the Brewers' rally in the seventh with back-to-back singles off Wil Crowe (1-1). First baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo then mishandled Rowdy Tellez's grounder, allowing Yelich to score. Taylor followed by lining a single to left to make it 2-1.
The Brewers made it 3-1 in the ninth when Kolten Wong drew a bases-loaded walk from Sam Howard.
Wong had a one-out double into the left-field corner in the top of the sixth off Bryse Wilson for the Brewers' first hit. That was the only knock against Wilson, who pitched four innings in relief of opener Dillon Peters.
Wilson had been scheduled to start but the Pirates switched earlier Wednesday to Peters, who made his first start of the season after five relief appearances. He walked one in two-plus innings.
"The things I've been doing in the fifth and sixth innings I just did at the start of the game," said Peters, who is unscored upon in 12 1/3 innings.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Brousseau was shaded a few steps toward home plate, anticipating a potential bunt, and was unable to make a play on Reynolds' grounder. Brousseau couldn't help but wonder about what might have been.
"I think if we're at double-play depth, I have a legitimate shot at making the play," he said. "Something cool could have potentially happened at the end of the day but we'll be OK. A one-hitter? We'll take that."
NEWMAN SIDELINED
Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman was placed on the 10-day injured list a day after straining his left groin. He is expected to miss three to five weeks.
Utility player Diego Castillo started at shortstop Wednesday night. Hayes, the primary third baseman, is also expected see time at shortstop after making his professional debut at the position Tuesday following Newman's injury.
Shortstop Oneil Cruz, the Pirates' consensus top prospect, is at Triple-A Indianapolis but was hitting .203 with one home run in 15 games going into Wednesday. The 6-foot-7 Cruz made his big league debut with the Pirates during the final weekend of last season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: 3B Luis Urias (strained left quadriceps) played nine innings for the first time Tuesday in his third game with Double-A Biloxi on a rehab assignment.
Pirates: Reynolds was reinstated after spending one day on the COVID-19 IL while INF/OF Cole Tucker remained on the list. Reynolds said he had the flu. "I already did COVID in January. Ain't getting me twice." … LHP Anthony Banda (viral illness) played catch a day after being placed on the IL. … RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (right hamstring strain) has moved his rehab to extended spring training. … OF Greg Allen (hamstring strain) has started to sprint but is not eligible to be activated from the 60-day IL until June 6.
UP NEXT
Brewers RHP Freddy Peralta (0-1, 7.50 ERA) faces LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 3.86) on Thursday in the finale of the three-game series. Opponents are hitting .271 against Peralta, up from .165 last season. Quintana's last win came Sept. 5, 2019 for the Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee.
CARDINALS 10, METS 5
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The New York Mets' hit-by-pitch frustrations boiled over Wednesday when reliever Yoan Lopez threw a pitch near Nolan Arenado's head, sparking a benches-clearing brawl that led to Arenado's ejection in the St. Louis Cardinals' 10-5 victory.
Mets hitter J.D. Davis left in the top of the eighth inning after being hit in the left foot by a pitch from Genesis Cabrera, the major league-leading 19th hit-by-pitch for the Mets this season -- including three Tuesday night against St. Louis.
New York appeared to retaliate a half-inning later against Arenado, who reached four times and drove in three runs. Lopez zipped a 94 mph fastball near his head, and Arenado began yelling for Lopez to "do it again." The benches and bullpens cleared, and the teams pushed and shoved near home plate.
Jake Woodford (1-0) allowed a run in two-plus innings of relief as St. Louis snapped a season-high three-game losing streak.
Mets starter Carlos Carrasco (1-1) gave up a season-high eight runs, seven earned, in a season-low 3 2/3 innings as the Mets had their three-game winning streak snapped.
RED SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 1
TORONTO (AP) -- Xander Bogaerts had four hits and the Red Sox celebrated the return of manager Alex Cora by snapping a four-game losing streak.
Cora rejoined the Red Sox after missing the past six games because of COVID-19. Boston went 1-5 under bench coach Will Venable while Cora was away.
Bogaerts went 4 for 4 with four singles and a walk. Michael Wacha (2-0) earned his second straight win, allowing one run and four hits in six innings.
Toronto reliever Trent Thornton (0-1) allowed two runs in one inning as the Blue Jays lost for the second time in eight games.
WHITE SOX 7, ROYALS 3
CHICAGO (AP) -- Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, and the White Sox stopped an eight-game slide.
The winning rally for the White Sox started when Danny Mendick and Tim Anderson hit consecutive two-out singles off Collin Snider (2-1). Scott Barlow then came in, and Vaughn drove his first pitch into the home bullpen in left.
Jake Burger hit a solo homer for Chicago, and Bennett Sousa (1-0) got his first major league win. Kendall Graveman struck out four in two innings to earn his first save of the season.
Whit Merrifield drove in two runs for Kansas City, which lost for the five time in six games.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, DODGERS 1
PHOENIX (AP) -- Zac Gallen pitched six scoreless innings, and the Diamondbacks scored two runs after Max Muncy's throwing error in the eighth inning.
Gallen allowed two hits and left with a 1-0 lead, but Ian Kennedy (2-1) gave up Trea Turner's run-scoring single in the eighth inning.
Arizona went back ahead in the bottom half, when Daulton Varsho scored from first base after Muncy threw the ball into right field on Sergio Alcantara's sacrifice bunt. Pinch-hitter Pavin Smith put the Diamondbacks up 3-1 with a groundout off Daniel Hudson (1-1).
Nick Ahmed homered for Arizona, and Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save.
YANKEES 5, ORIOLES 2
NEW YORK (AP) -- Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton hit his 350th career homer and lifted a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
Joey Gallo also homered for New York for the second straight night, his third straight game with an RBI after going his first 14 games without one.
Stanton is the seventh fastest player to 350 homers, getting there in 1,341 games.
Stanton's performance helped the Yankees win their fifth straight and seventh in eight games. Michael King (2-0) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for New York, and Clay Holmes tossed a perfect ninth for his second career save.
Anthony Santander hit a two-run homer for the Orioles in the sixth. Joey Krehbiel (1-2) got the loss.
PHILLIES 7, ROCKIES 3
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Bryce Harper had three hits and Odubel Herrera homered, leading the Phillies to their third straight win over the Rockies.
Herrera and Didi Gregorius each drove in two runs for Philadelphia, which has outscored Colorado 25-8 in the series. Ranger Suarez (2-0) pitched six innings of three-run ball for the win.
The Phillies earned their first series win since taking two of three from Oakland to open the season and will go for the four-game sweep on Thursday.
C.J. Cron homered and Jose Iglesias had four singles for the Rockies. Ryan Feltner (0-1) got the loss.
MARLINS 2, NATIONALS 1
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Miami's Pablo Lopez lowered his majors-best ERA to 0.39 by throwing six shutout innings.
Jesus Aguilar homered for the Marlins, who moved above .500 for the first time in 2022.
Mixing a four-seam fastball, cutter and changeup before an announced crowd of 13,356, Lopez (3-0) baffled an already-in-trouble Nationals offense, which has managed to score a grand total of 14 runs during a losing streak that grew to seven games.
Washington's Erick Fedde (1-2) yielded two runs and three hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Anthony Bender got four outs for his fourth save in five chances.
RAYS 3, MARINERS 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Drew Rasmussen struck out nine in six shutout innings, and Tampa Bay stopped Seattle's four-game winning streak.
Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run homer for the Rays. Rasmussen (1-1) permitted two hits and walked one, and Andrew Kittredge got four outs for his third save in three tries.
Seattle starter Marco Gonzales (1-2) lasted just 11 pitches. He left after being struck on the left wrist by a line drive hit by Harold Ramirez. The hit drove in the first run of the game.
J.P. Crawford and Abraham Toro homered for the Mariners.
PADRES 8, REDS 5
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Jurickson Profar hit a three-run homer for San Diego, and MacKenzie Gore struck out 10 over five innings.
Gore (2-0) allowed a run and five hits as the Padres won for the seventh time in nine games. Eric Hosmer drove in two runs, including a leadoff homer in the eighth. Taylor Rogers got one out for his sixth save.
San Diego will go for its second sweep of the season Thursday of the hard-luck Reds, who have lost 12 of 13 amid a rash of injuries and slumps.
Reds starter Vladimir Gutierrez (0-4) went four innings and was charged with six runs and five hits.
Tommy Pham and Brandon Drury homered for Cincinnati. Kyle Farmer hit four doubles and drove in two runs.
TWINS 5, TIGERS 0
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Joe Ryan threw seven innings of one-hit ball and Max Kepler stayed hot with a pair of home runs as the Twins won their sixth game in a row.
Ryan Jeffers homered, doubled and drove in three runs for Minnesota.
Michael Pineda (1-1) took the loss for Detroit. He gave up four runs, including all three Twins homers, in five innings against his former team.
Ryan (3-1) was dominant from the start, holding the Tigers hitless until Miguel Cabrera laced a single in the fourth.