MILWAUKEE -- In the times where the Pirates needed him the most, Colin Moran delivered the clutch extra-base hit Sunday.
Moran put the Bucs on top in their first extra-inning game with a double to right to bring the Pirates a 6-5 win in 10 innings at American Family Field.
Miller Park had been a house of horrors for the Pirates, who won just one game in Milwaukee in each of the past two seasons. But they won their first series since 2018 with American Family Field in the banner.
Rich Rodriguez (1-0) was the pitcher of record on the long side. The Pirates’ de facto closer retired all six batters he faced and did not allow the free runner past second in the extra inning. Rodriguez has not allowed a run in 6 ⅓ innings this season.
Moran also bailed Chad Kuhl out of an early hole with a three-run homer in the third inning. The 28-year-old leads the club with 12 RBIs and has been excellent with runners in scoring position, batting .353 in those spots. The homer was his fourth of the year.
The Pirates had to come from behind to move to 7-9 on the year. Things got dicey for the club as they first garnered a pair of leads that lasted all of about less than 10 minutes in the third and seventh innings.
The first came on Moran’s homer, then Bryan Reynolds delivered his own two-run blast to put the Pirates out in front later in the game. Kuhl surrendered a solo shot to Avisail Garcia in the third, and Chris Stratton blew the shutdown inning in the seventh when Daniel Vogelbach went deep for the second time in the game.
Kuhl rebounded nicely after a rough opening frame. He completed five innings and struck out six, but his first-inning troubles persisted in his fourth start of the season. The Brewers jumped out to an early two-run lead on Vogelbach’s first homer and a Travis Shaw RBI double.
The Pirates’ opening day starter has a 6.32 ERA in 15.2 total innings this season.
Erik Gonzalez contributed a pair of hits, and Sam Howard, David Bednar and Kyle Crick combined for two scoreless innings of relief.
More coverage to come from American Family Field in Milwaukee.
