Slow starters Pirates drop second-half opener to Brewers
MILWAUKEE — The Pittsburgh Pirates couldn't get anything going against Mike Fiers.
Fiers scattered three hits over seven solid innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pirates 4-1 on Friday night.
The Pirates had won 11 of their last 13 games leading up to the All-Star break. Pittsburgh came in with a major league-best 10-2 record in July, scoring 53 runs so far, which was second to the Brewers' 66 in the NL.
“We didn't meet the overall demands of the game,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “I don't think it needs any more explanation than that. We weren't able to do a lot on offense.”
Fiers' only hiccup was Jung Ho Kang's homer in the seventh, giving him 12 home runs allowed at home, but only one on the road. He walked one, struck out seven and threw 60 of his 89 pitches for strikes.
“His fastball had that life on it, that little bit of extra life on it,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “You could see that in the strikeouts. It's the whole package with him. Everything was working pretty well, but he had a really good fastball.”
Hurdle rattled off what made the 6-foot-2 Fiers so effective.
“The downhill angle, the fastball was tough,” the Pirates skipper said. “He located his pitches, curve ball, the changeup. The downhill angle is tougher than a lot of people give it credit for it to hit. You don't have to throw 100.”
Fiers (5-7) is 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his last five starts. He's walked 12 and struck out 24 in that span.
“Not really a secret, just being aggressive,” Fiers said. “Command's big. Not walking guys. Making them earn their way on. Just being aggressive, going after them and trusting in my stuff.”
Will Smith pitched the eighth and Francisco Rodriguez closed it out with his 20th save in 20 chances.
Gerardo Parra raised his batting average two points to .311 and is the only Brewer over .300.
Parra doubled in the first off Charlie Morton (6-3) and scored on a groundout.
His double in the fifth scored Scooter Gennett, who had been hit by a pitch and advanced on a sacrifice by Fiers.
“I felt like I was pretty efficient considering I had three walks and a hit batter,” Morton said.
He also struck out two and allowed five hits in six innings.
After Fiers had hit the first Pittsburgh batter in the second and fifth innings, Morton plunked Gennett, the leadoff batter in the bottom of the fifth, prompting plate umpire Dale Scott to warn both managers.
Gennett took second on Fiers' sacrifice and scored on Parra's double.
