Kyle Harrison tossed six innings of one-hit ball with a career-high 12 strikeouts and the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a four-game skid with a 5-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
The Brewers backed Harrison with a five-run fourth inning to avoid their first sweep against Pittsburgh since 2022 and first at home to the Pirates since a four-game series in August 2016.
The only hit off Harrison (2-1) in his 101-pitch outing was a leadoff single in the second by Marcell Ozuna, who was erased on a double play. The only other runner off Harrison came on a two-out walk in the fourth.
Held hitless through three innings, the Brewers erupted for five runs in the decisive fourth off Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2). William Contreras capped a 10-pitch at-bat with a leadoff single and Jake Bauers lined a ground rule double to right-center. Contreras scored on Gary Sanchez’s RBI groundout.
Sal Frelick reached on catcher’s interference with two outs and Luis Rengifo followed with an RBI single. David Hamilton lined an RBI double off the wall in right-center to make it 3-0. Brandon Lockridge followed with a two-run single, chasing Mlodzinski, who allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The Pirates had runners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth innings, but failed to convert.
Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill, recently demoted from the closer role, allowed a double and a walk to open the seventh, but retired three straight with two strikeouts for his fifth consecutive appearance without an earned run.
Pittsburgh loaded the bases in the eighth against Aaron Ashby on two walks and an error, but Bryan Reynolds bounced to second to end the inning.
The Brewers failed to homer for the seventh consecutive game, their most since a franchise-record 13 straight games in 1999. Milwaukee has one home run in its last 11 games.
