Arcia’s pinch hit in 8th lifts Brewers over Pirates 6-5
By RICH ROVITO Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Orlando Arcia’s pinch-hit single with two outs in the eighth inning drove in the tiebreaking run as the Milwaukee Brewers slipped past the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 on Monday night. Ben Gamel led off the eighth with a double and scored on Arcia’s hit as the Brewers took three of four in the series. Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save in his first appearance since walking five of the six batters he faced while trying to close out Saturday night’s game. Hader has yet to give up a hit this season.

Bell, Polanco homer off Woodruff as Pirates beat Brewers 5-1
By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Josh Bell and Gregory Polanco homered off Brandon Woodruff and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1. Bell broke a 1-all tie in the fourth with a towering, two-run blast that hit an SUV parked well above the wall in right-center as part of a promotion. The Pirates stayed in front the rest of the way to hand Woodruff a rare loss at Miller Park. The right-hander entered Sunday having gone 10-0 with a 2.89 ERA in 16 home starts over the past two seasons. He struck out seven but allowed four runs, four hits and three walks in five innings.

Pirates earn doubleheader sweep over Cardinals
By WARREN MAYES Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Erik Gonzalez and Adam Frazier singled in runs, rookie Cody Ponce earned his first big league victory and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 for a doubleheader sweep. Cole Tucker drove in the go-ahead run in extra innings in the Pirates’ 4-3 win in the opener. Ponce was used as a reliever in his first two appearances this season and made his first major league start. He went 5 2/3 innings, holding the Cardinals scoreless and scattering five hits. Nick Turley pitched the seventh to record his first save in the majors. Prior to this year, Turley hadn’t appeared in affiliated ball since 2017 due to elbow injuries.

Tucker sparks Pirates in 4-3 win over Cardinals
By WARREN MAYES Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cole Tucker drove in the go-ahead run and also scored in extra innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 in a doubleheader opener. The seven-inning game went to extras tied at one, and Tucker scored automatic runner Jarrod Dyson with a single off John Gant. Pittsburgh added two more runs with two outs on an RBI single by Bryan Reynolds and an error by third baseman Brad Miller. Chad Kuhl delivered six innings of one-run ball for Pittsburgh, Chris Stratton pitched a scoreless seventh and Richard Rodriguez allowed two runs but got his second save by pitching the eighth.

White Sox hit 4 more homers, rip Pirates 10-3
MATT CARLSON Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — José Abreu hit his seventh homer in five games, Dallas Keuchel pitched six dominant innings, and the surging Chicago White Sox pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-3 for their ninth win in 10 games. Abreu’s 12th home run was Chicago’s fourth of the game and broke it open. Eloy Jiménez, Danny Mendick and Edwin Encarnacion also homered for Chicago, which leads the AL with 60 home runs. Keuchel (5-2) allowed two runs on four hits and struck out seven in his third straight win. Trevor Williams (1-5) took the loss and Jacob Stallings had a two-run single and Erik González hit a solo homer for Pittsburgh.

Polanco’s home run lifts Pirates to sweep of Brewers
JOHN PERROTTO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Slumping Gregory Polanco’s bat showed signs of life for a second straight day as his two-run home run in the eighth inning lifted the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers and a three-game series sweep. Polanco connected off David Phelps for his fourth homer of the season and finished 2 for 3 with a walk. It was Polanco’s second two-hit game in as many days, lifting his batting average from .085 to .151. The Pirates nearly doubled their season win total in one weekend. They entered the series with a 4-17 record, worst in the major leagues.

Offense breaks out as Pirates rip Brewers 12-5
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Adam Frazier and Jacob Stallings homered and drove in three runs apiece as the Pittsburgh Pirates slammed the Milwaukee Brewers 12-5. Struggling outfielder Gregory Polanco added a home run and a double for his first two-hit game in 15 months. Colin Moran doubled three times for Pittsburgh. Erik Gonzalez hit a two-run double in the seventh as the Pirates batted around against Milwaukee’s suddenly vulnerable bullpen. Pittsburgh’s nine extra-base hits were a season high and its run total matched the most surrendered by the Brewers this year.

Kuhl earns first win in 2 years as Pirates top Brewers 7-2
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chad Kuhl allowed one run in five innings to pick up his first win in more than two years as the Pittsburgh Pirates rolled by the Milwaukee Brewers 7-2. Kuhl (1-1) gave up a long solo home run to Ben Gamel in the second but otherwise kept the Brewers at bay to pick up his first victory since June 15, 2018. Kuhl, who missed the second half of 2018 and all of 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, walked three and struck out just one as the Pirates snapped a four-game losing streak.