Willy Adames steals 20th base, joining 30-20 club in Brewers’ 7-2 win over Pirates
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Willy Adames secured his first 30-20 season in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 7-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
Adames stole second after an infield single, his first of two hits, with one out in the second inning. It was the 20th stolen base for the seven-year veteran to go along with 32 home runs. He and 20-year-old rookie Jackson Chourio (21 homers, 21 stolen bases) are the first Brewers teammates to go 20-20 in the same season.
“It’s a special season,” said Adames, who is fourth in the majors with 111 RBIs. “This is a special moment for me and my family, especially at this point in my career. I think it’s just all the work that we’ve done is paying off right now. It makes me feel happy that after all that work we’ve done, you’re able to see the numbers. Obviously, winning too. I feel like that makes it even more special when you’re winning.”
Hoby Milner (5-1) pitched a perfect fifth inning for the win in relief of Tobias Myers, who allowed two runs and six hits in the first four.
The Brewers, at 90-67, have 90 wins in consecutive seasons for the second time in their history, previously doing so in 1978 and 1979.
“We’ve got to keep continuing to play decent baseball,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said. “We were decent today. … We grinded out at-bats when we needed to. Willy got some big hits. We took advantage. We took our walks when we needed to. Played good defense. They kept us ahead.”
Adames was the first of four straight batters to reach against Bailey Falter (8-9) with one out in a three-run second. Rhys Hoskins walked after Adames’ single and ahead of an RBI double from Sal Frelick. Joey Ortiz then dribbled a two-run single past a diving Nick Yorke at second base.
Pittsburgh answered with two runs in the bottom half. Jared Triolo hit an RBI single; Bryan De La Cruz scored on Yorke’s sacrifice fly.
“I thought our effort was good,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “We continued to have good at-bats late into the game. … We had 10 hits and we had some pretty good swings.”
Adames led off the fourth with a double to left. He later scored from third when Ortiz grounded to first baseman Billy Cook, who threw what could have been the start to an inning-ending double play past shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Falter gave up four runs and five hits, striking out five and walking one in five innings.
“That time of the year,” Falter said. “Just, you know, body is getting a little tired. That’s it. … I’ve had some ups and some downs. I’m just trying to finish the year strong. That’s it.”
Pirates reliever Isaac Mattson walked Adames and Hoskins with the bases loaded before being pulled in the seventh. William Contreras scored on a sacrifice fly from Frelick.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: 1B Rowdy Tellez and OF Michael A. Taylor were designated for assignment. In corresponding moves Tuesday, OF Joshua Palacios and INF Liover Peguero were recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
UP NEXT
RHP Luis Ortiz (6-6, 3.43 ERA) will take the mound for the Pirates, opposite Brewers RHP Freddy Peralta (11-8, 3.69), as the three-game series continues Wednesday.