Gallardo's arm, bat lead Brewers over Pirates 17-3
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MILWAUKEE (AP) — Yovani Gallardo pitched six strong innings and drove in three runs, Gregg Zaun matched career highs with four hits and five RBIs and the Milwaukee Brewers extended their mastery of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 17-3 victory Monday night.
Casey McGehee added a grand slam in a nine-run eighth inning that also included a two-run homer by Alcides Escobar and a two-run double by Zaun.
The Brewers have outscored the Pirates 53-4 in their last four meetings, including a three-game sweep in Pittsburgh last week during which Milwaukee outscored the Pirates 36-1 — including a 20-0 rout on Thursday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It was the seventh straight defeat for Pittsburgh. The Pirates have lost to the Brewers 22 straight times at Miller Park and are 12-37 against Milwaukee overall since 2007.
The Brewers' home winning streak against Pittsburgh is the longest by one team over another since the Indians beat the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles 27 consecutive times from 1952-54.
Gallardo (2-2) gave up two runs, none earned, and five hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked three.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Zach Duke (2-2) took the loss, allowing eight earned runs and nine hits in four innings. Milwaukee tallied 17 hits in all.
The Brewers were looking to rebound after the Chicago Cubs swept them over the weekend, outscoring them 25-4 in three games.
They had their ace on the mound, and at the plate, to do it.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gallardo was 0 for 8 on the season and a career .183 hitter, but he has some pop: His four career home runs are the most in Brewers history for a pitcher.
He showed it in the second with a two-out, two-run double to score McGehee and Zaun, who had walked, to make it 2-0.
The Brewers sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs in the third, including a three-run double by Zaun, who was batting .157 coming into the game, and an RBI single by Gallardo.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Milwaukee sent 12 batters to the plate in the nine-run eighth, which McGehee capped with his second career slam.
Zaun also had a bizarre night behind the plate. Three times in the first inning he threw wildly past Gallardo, and infielders had to retrieve the ball each time. On his next accurate throw, he drew a mock cheer from the crowd.
There was a scary moment in the fourth when Escobar's bat shattered after he grounded out, and the sharp barrel flew into the stands and struck a boy in the head. The boy did not appear seriously hurt but was taken on an ambulance cart for X-rays.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NOTES: Zaun has had four hits and five RBIs three times each in his career. ... Jeff Suppan, demoted from Milwaukee's starting rotation Sunday, pitched the ninth in his first relief appearance since Aug. 26, 2003, with Boston.