10-run 4th as Pirates hammer Milwaukee, finish sweep

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The first nine Pirates batters reached base in the fourth inning and all scored as the Bucs hammered Milwaukee 14-5 to finish a three-game sweep heading into the All-Star Break.

It’s the first time nine straight Pirates got on base to start an inning since June 27, 1986 in Montreal. It’s also the first time in team history they had a pair of 10-run innings in the same season (April 13 vs. Washington).

It’s the first Pirates series sweep of the Brewers in four years.

Notes

• 8 of the 9 Pirates had an RBI
• Ryan O’Hearn, Nick Gonzales, Marcell Ozuna, Jared Triolo and Henry Davis (3) had at least 2 RBIs
• The bottom 4 of the Pirates lineup combined for 9 RBI
• Paul Skenes got his 2^nd straight win—5.1 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, a walk and 7 strikeouts. He threw 82 pitches, 54 strikes
• Esmerlyn Valdez, O’Hearn, Ozuna and Davis (3) scored multiple runs
• All-Star Jacob Misrorowski was scratched from the start with arm fatigue, LHP Robert Gasser started giving up seven of the runs in three innings, reliever Jared Koenig gave up five runs without getting an out.

Better July Hank

Henry Davis hit a 364-foot home run in the second inning, Davis has been on base in every start in July and has a couple of homers this month. The better hitting coming with back-up catcher Endy Rodriguez on the injured list.

Ozuna zone

Odds are the first boos you would hear at a home game are directed at Marcell Ozuna. However, the 35-year-old now has three home runs in his last 10 games including one that hugged the left-field line on Sunday. Ozuna hit .263 in June and has four hits in four games in July. Not $12.5 million worth, but better.

Hit me

Ryan O’Hearn took exception after the third time he was hit by a pitch in the series, one in each game. You could feel some tension as a few Brewers stepped up to the top of the dugout and it seems as if we may have been close to something more as O’Hearn eventually walked to first base.

O’Hearn had been hit two times previously all season.

Help coming, this month

While saying he needs to get through the All-Star Break before having a better sense of exactly when, Pirates GM Ben Cherington said on the Pirates Insider Show with Jason Mackey on 93.7 The Fan he expects centerfielder Oneil Cruz and infielder Spencer Horwitz to play before the end of July. They could start a rehab assignment as soon as the end of this week.

Up Next

All-Star Break before resuming on the road, first in Cleveland and then at the Yankees.