Rookie Sal Frelick drove in five runs with a three-run homer and a double as the Milwaukee Brewers pounded out a 14-1 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.
Frelick put the Brewers up 11-1 in the sixth with his second career homer, a two-out shot down the right field line off Jose Hernandez. Frelick also had a two-run double in the first and walked twice.
William Contreras had a two-run double to cap a three-run seventh as the Brewers surpassed their previous season high of 11 runs.
Adrian Houser (4-3) allowed one run on four hits over six innings, striking out five and walking two.
Pirates starter Mitch Keller (9-8) was tagged for eight runs on nine hits in five innings, along with three walks and a hit batter, losing his fourth consecutive start since pitching an inning in the All-Star game.
Milwaukee was coming off a 1-5 road trip, which dropped them a half-game back of Cincinnati in the National League Central. The Reds were at the Chicago Cubs later Thursday.
The Pirates scored first when Alfonso Rivas led off the game with a walk and came around on a single, a fielder's choice and Jack Suwinski's RBI groundout.
Milwaukee took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half when Contreras reached on a fielder's choice, Willy Adames singed with two outs and Frelick lined a two-run double to the gap in left-center.
The Brewers had four consecutive hits to open a three-run second inning and go in front 5-1. Andruw Monasterio and Brice Turang singled. Pirates right fielder Henry Davis then misplayed Joey Wiemer's fly ball, turning it into an RBI double. Christian Yelich followed with an RBI single to make it 4-1. Wiemer came home on a double play.
Turang's three-run homer off Keller in the fifth inning put the Brewers up 8-1. Frelick had walked with one out and Mark Canha was hit by a pitch. After Monasterio flied out, Turang sent the first pitch 414 feet to right for his fifth homer.
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