Milwaukee Brewers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score on Jul 14, 2018

The Pittsburgh Pirates made back-to-back homers by Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco in the first inning hold up for their fourth straight win, 2-1 against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday.

Elias Diaz was 3-for-4 for Pittsburgh, which has won six of seven, including the first three of this five-game series.

Milwaukee has lost four straight and six of eight.

The Brewers were 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranded seven runners and have not held a lead in the series. They are 4-11 at PNC Park over the past two seasons, with just 34 runs in those 15 games.

Pittsburgh right-hander Ivan Nova pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up one run and seven hits, with three strikeouts and no walks. It was the fourth time in his past seven starts he has allowed one or no runs.

Four relievers held Milwaukee at bay after Nova, with Richard Rodriguez (2-2) picking up the win and Felipe Vazquez pitching the ninth for his 22nd save.

Brewers starter Chase Anderson (6-7), who had allowed one run in each of his previous four starts, gave up two on the homers. Those were among the six hits he allowed, along with four strikeouts and two walks, in 5 1/3 innings.

Marte launched a one-out homer, his 12th, to right-center in the first, and Polanco immediately followed with his 15th, a shot to right.

Milwaukee had a lot of action in the fifth but netted just one run.

Tyler Saladino led off with a single to center but was out on an Erik Kratz fielder's choice. Keon Broxton singled to center, moving Kratz to second. Kratz was out at third on Anderson's bunt. Christian Yelich's two-out single to right drove in Broxton to make it 2-1.

After Lorenzo Cain's infield hit loaded the bases, the Pirates pulled Nova. Rodriguez struck out Travis Shaw to end the inning.

Milwaukee reached based just twice the rest of the game, reaching second base just once.

--Field Level Media