In perhaps the team's most all-around performance of the 2020 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Milwaukee Brewers by a 7-2 score at PNC Park on Friday.
Milwaukee (11-13) got the scoring started in the top of the second inning with a solo shot from Ben Gamel. Pittsburgh (5-17) immediately responded in the inning's bottom half when Bryan Reynolds blasted a solo homerun of his own.
A flurry of five straight hits, including run-scoring singles from Bryan Reynolds, Gregory Polanco and Cole Tucker gave the Pirates their first lead of the evening at 4-1, and they never-looked back.
The ever-dangerous Christian Yelich cranked an opposite-field solo homerun, his seventh of the season, in the top of the eighth off of Richard Rodriguez to bring the score to 4-2.
In the latter half of the eighth, Bryan Reynolds continued his hot-hitting night, driving in Josh Bell and Colin Moran with a two-run triple to the notch in left field. Cole Tucker brought in Reynolds with another RBI single to extend the Pirates' lead to 7-2.
Chad Kuhl continued his string of strong starts, pitching five innings while surrendering just two hits and one earned run. Geoff Hartlieb continued to dazzle, pitching 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball in relief.
Keone Kela, a valuable trade chip for the Pirates, left in the top of the ninth inning. Kela was replaced by freshly-acquired reliever Tyler Bashlor, who closed out the victory for Pittsburgh.
In the victory, Colin Moran, Cole Tucker and Bryan Reynolds each recorded three hits.
Pittsburgh and Milwaukee will meet again on Saturday afternoon at PNC Park for the second of a three-game weekend series.
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