Willy Adames’ Career Night Powers Brewers to 12-8 Win Over Pirates

It was a career-night for Willy Adames who collected four hits, including two home runs and drove in a career-high seven runs in the Brewers 12-8 win over the Pirates on Tuesday at PNC Park.

The Brewers had themselves a 2-0 lead two batters into the game. After a Kolten Wong leadoff walk, Adames hit one just over the centerfield wall, his third homer of the season. Adames padded the Brewers lead in the fifth when he doubled in a pair, ending Mitch Keller’s night.

The story in this one for Keller has largely been what we have seen in his career. He looked really good at times but also left a lot to be desired and exited the game with a poor final line. That line read 4.2 innings, five hits, four earned runs, two walks and a strikeout.

Keller’s night might have been over, but Adames’ sure wasn’t. He added a three-run homer in the sixth, his second of the night and later added a single for his fourth hit.

The sixth inning was a big one, to say the least, for Milwaukee. The Pirates had tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, but Adames’ blast capped off a six-run inning for the Brewers. Tyrone Taylor plated a run with an RBI triple, and Omar Narvaez and Wong each added run-scoring singles.

The Pirates got on the board thanks to a Roberto Perez double down the third base line that plated Kevin Newman. It was one of two RBIs for Perez on the night.

Daniel Vogelbach began the fifth with a double towards the notch, his second hit of the night. After a Ke’Bryan Hayes walk, Ben Gamel doubled to left, cutting the Brewers lead to two and giving the Pirates a pair of runners in scoring position with two away. Newman delivered with his second hit in the game, this one a game-tying two-RBI base hit up the middle. Newman was later removed from the game with left groin tightness.

HELLO, NEWMAN! pic.twitter.com/mPmMflkX9a

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 27, 2022

Hayes reached base four times in the game for the Pirates with two singles, a double and a walk.

The Pirates tacked on one more in the seventh on a Michael Chavis sacrifice fly. Vogelbach drove in Jack Suwinski with an RBI groundout in the eighth. Tucupita Marcano doubled off the Clemente Wall in his first Pirates at-bat in the inning and scored on a Hayes sacrifice fly.

Two Pirates made their Major League debut. Suwinski went 1 for 5, and scored a run. Beau Sulser worked 2.2 innings. He picked up his first career strikeout on the first batter he faced, Andrew McCutchen, and picked up four strikeouts in total. The Brewers scored a a pair of unearned runs that go on his line after a Chavis error.

First batter faced.

First Major League strikeout. pic.twitter.com/yoVQEpUWqX

— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) April 27, 2022

McCutchen did reach a milestone, picking up his 200th career steal in the win.

The second game of the three-game set is Wednesday at 6:35. Bryse Wilson (0-0, 6.35 ERA) will face Aaron Ashby (0-2, 3.18 ERA).

Takeaways

• Hayes Hit Streak: After going 3 for 3 in this one, Hayes extended his hitting streak to five games. He’s now 7 for 16 (.438) with two doubles, three RBIs and six walks over that span. Hayes has gotten off to a hot start on the young season for the Pirates and has paced the offense for Pittsburgh. The Bucs third baseman had a nice night at the plate against the Brewers after recording just one hit in nine at-bats against them in their series last week.
• Location, Location, Location: Keller had trouble spotting some of his pitches against the Brewers, notably his breaking ball. Keller got away with one in the third when Keller hung one right down the middle, but the Brewers shortstop lined out to left. Keller again left one down the middle to Adames in the fifth, and this time he capitalized on it and drove in a pair to extend Milwaukee’s lead. Keller needs to have better command of his pitches in the zone if he wants to take a step forward this year.
• Just The Appetizer: Suwinski and Sulser may not be two of the most highly-regarded prospects. Even so, the duo each gave the Pirates and their fans a little glimpse into the future as they are the first two of potentially several Pirates prospects to make their Major League debuts for the Bucs in 2022. Players like Roansy Contreras and Oneil Cruz have had brief stints in the Majors, but there is a wave of young talent knocking on the door to Pittsburgh and could expect calls as the season progresses.