Brewers beat Pirates 6-3, Contreras hits 3-run homer
William Contreras #24 celebrates with Devin Williams #38 of the Milwaukee Brewers after a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on July 2, 2023, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH - William Contreras hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the third inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Sunday to win their third straight series.
Colon Rea (5-4) won his second straight start, allowing two runs and five hits in a season-high 6 2/3 innings. With runners on second and third in the fifth, he retired Andrew McCutchen on an inning-ending groundout.
Hoby Milner entered with a 3-2 lead in the seventh and got Connor Joe to hit an inning-ending flyout.
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Elvis Peguero allowed Josh Palacios' RBI double in the eighth, and Devin Williams retired three straight batters for his 17th save in 18 chances.
Milwaukee (45-39) won seven of 10 on its trip and remained tied with Cincinnati for the NL Central lead.
Pittsburgh (39-44) lost its second straight following a four-game winning streak.
Rich Hill (7-8) gave up three runs and three hits in five innings. The 43-year-old left-hander struck out eight and walked two.
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Nick Gonzales, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 amateur draft, hit his second big league homer, a two-run drive that put Pittsburgh ahead in the second. Palacios doubled twice for the Pirates.
McCutchen went 0 for 4, ending his team-high 20-game on-base streak.
Contreras' ninth homer put the Brewers ahead 3-2 in the third, a 435-foot drive on a fastball. Milwaukee boosted the lead in the eighth when Brice Turang hit a squib to the left side with runners at the corners and two outs, and reliever Ryan Burucki threw the ball down the right-field line as two runs scored.