PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz broke out of a slump with three hits, Jared Jones allowed one run in six innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates ended their skid at six games, beating Milwaukee 4-2 on Monday night to stop the Brewers’ four-game win streak.
Cruz capped a three-run sixth with a two-out, two-run single. He also singled in the second and dropped a double into right-center in the fourth. The 6-foot-7 shortstop was 4-for-44 in his previous 12 games.
Jones (2-2) gave up four hits and two walks. The 22-year-old struck out seven and has 39 strikeouts to become the fourth major league pitcher since 1893 to strike out at least seven in his first five starts, joining Masahiro Tanaka (2014), Stephen Strasburg (2010) and José DeLeón (1983).
Jones fanned Brice Turang to start the third, making him fall in the box swinging at a slider down and inside.
“Never made someone fall, but it was pretty cool to see. Pretty good pitch,” Jones said. “I was l
The Pirates, following an 11-5 start, were outscored 36-9 in back-to-back three-game sweeps by the Mets and Red Sox. The Brewers were coming off a three-game sweep at St. Louis.
David Bednar picked up his third save, allowing only an infield hit by Jackson Chourio in the ninth.
Joe Ross (1-2) gave up two runs on six hits in 5¹/³ innings for Milwaukee.
“I feel like I just feel good in my delivery,” Ross said. “I feel like when I feel confident in my delivery, it just kind of comes out. I feel like that's really it. I'm not really trying to do too much.”
Andrew McCutchen led off the first for Pittsburgh with a 414-foot homer to center, his first of three hits. He hit his 1,000th single in the majors in the third.
“It's something I'm familiar with," McCutchen said of batting leadoff. “You get called in by the manager and he's asking something of you, you want to be able to hold up your end of the bargain and try to step up.”
Rhys Hoskins homered off Jones leading off the fifth, then walked to load the bases with two outs in the sixth. Jones retired Blake Perkins on a comebacker to end that threat.
Pirates setup man Aroldis Chapman walked three straight, loading the bases with one out in the eighth. Hunter Stratton entered to limit the damage to one run, getting Hoskins and Perkins to ground out.
“That's the game,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Credit the pitchers too. That kid, Jones, man. That kid was electric. We didn't get the big hit at the big time.”
Junis hurt in batting practice
Brewers pitcher Jakob Junis was taken away in an ambulance after being hit in the neck by a line drive during batting practice.
The right-hander was standing in the outfield when he was struck by the hard-hit ball off the bat of Pirates infielder Alika Williams. Junis remained down for about 20 minutes while being treated by medical teams. He was alert while being loaded onto an ambulance and taken from PNC Park.
The teams said in a joint statement that Junis was “conscious, alert and responsive” and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Junis, 31, went on the 15-day injured list on April 6 because of a shoulder impingement. He has made one start this season, allowing one run and three hits in four innings against the Minnesota Twins on April 2.
Since debuting in the majors with Kansas City on April 12, 2017, Junis is 38-45 with a 4.63 ERA in eight seasons with the Royals, San Francisco and Milwaukee.
Earlier Monday, the Brewers placed left-handed starter Wade Miley on the 15-day IL with left elbow inflammation. He joined left-hander DL Hall, who went on the IL because of a left knee sprain on Sunday.
Up next
Left-hander Bailey Falter (1-1, 4.05 ERA) will take the mound for the Pirates in the second game of the four-game series Tuesday. The Brewers had not announced a starter.
Photos: A salute to Brewers radio voice Bob Uecker on his 89th birthday
Pirates 4, Brewers 2
Key: Pittsburgh scores three runs on three hits and one error in the sixth inning.
Brewers pitcher Jakob Junis is wheeled to an ambulance in the outfield of PNC Park after being hit by a ball during batting practice before Monday's game against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.