MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers know that if they are to get in the race for a playoff spot they need to beat the teams in front of them in the National League Central division.
So far, so good.
In the rubber game of a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates Yovani Gallardo struck out a career-high 14 Pirates batters in seven innings and the Brewers beat the Pirates 4-1.
For the Pirates A.J. Burnett pitched well enough to win on most days, but Gallardo stifled the Pirates bats.
Burnett struck out seven and scattered nine its over his seven innings of work.
The current homestand for the Brewers has the St. Louis Cardinals coming to Milwaukee for a three-game series and then three against the Cincinnati Reds.
Other National League Scores
Washington 4 – Miami 0 – Stephen Strasburg gave the Washington Nationals six scoreless innings in the nets down the Miami Marlins 4-0.
Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen took exception to the amount of pine tar that was on the Nationals Bryce Harper‘s bat, during the fourth inning.
“I’ve been praising this kid the last three times they’ve asked me about him, he’s a great player,” Guillen said. “What he did today was unprofessional.”
San Diego Padres 7 -Los Angeles Dodgers 2 – The Los Angeles Dodgers committed five errors today in the San Diego Padres used those errors to score 6 earned runs and beat the Dodgers 7-2
San Francisco Giants 3 – Houston Astros 2 – Buster Posey had three hits and drove in two runs to back up the pitching of Matt Cain in the Giants swept the Astros 3-2.
Cain pitched into the seventh inning scattering five hits and striking out six.
Chicago 3 – Arizona 1 – Yesterday Cubs starter Ryan Dempster raised his trade value with a solid pitching performance. Today, Matt Garza did the same throwing seven shutout innings as the Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Philadelphia 5 – Colorado 1 – Cole Hamels is about to be offered a multiyear, multimillion dollar contract by the Philadelphia Phillies in hopes of keeping him from entering the free agent market.
After today the Phillies may have to raise their offer.
Hamels completed eight innings of one run ball, and Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer as the Phillies downed the Colorado Rockies 5-1.
Atlanta 6 – New York 1 – Ben Sheets returned to major-league baseball for the first time in two years and pitched six shutout innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 6-1 .
It was his first start since July 19, 2010. Freddie Freeman hit his 12th home run, a three-run shot, to supply all the offense Sheets in the Braves bullpen would need.
Cincinnati 4 – St. Louis 2 – Scott Rolen hit a 3 run triple in the 8th inning to help the Reds to a 4-2 victory and a 3 game sweep of the Cardinals
