Freddy Peralta pitched five strong innings in his second start back from the injured list and Kolten Wong doubled in two runs to help the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-3 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in the opener of a two-game series.
Peralta (4-2), sidelined from May 23 to Aug. 3 with a shoulder strain, allowed two runs on two hits in five innings, striking out four and walking none in a 65-pitch outing.
Matt Bush pitched the ninth inning for the Brewers’ first save since they traded All-Star closer Josh Hader at the deadline.
Milwaukee, which had lost six of its last seven, went up 5-2 with three runs in the fifth.
Willy Adames singled with one out off Ryan Yarbrough (0-7) and stole second. Rowdy Tellez walked, with Adames taking third on a wild pitch. Andrew McCutchen greeted Ryan Thompson with an RBI single to center to make it 3-2. Wong capped the inning with a two-out, two-run double into the left field corner.
Tampa Bay made it 5-3 in the seventh when David Peralta singled to open the inning, advanced to second on a ground out and came home on Jose Siri’s double.
The Rays tied it 2-2 in the third on a two-run homer by Yandy Diaz. Christian Bethancourt reached on an infield single. After Taylor Walls’ sacrifice bunt, Diaz sent a 2-0 pitch 421 feet to center for his sixth homer.
The Brewers took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run off opener Jimmy Yacabonis, who pitched just the first inning. Christian Yelich walked to open the frame and advanced on an errant pickoff throw. McCutchen’s two-out, ground-rule double to center scored him.
Brewers centerfielder Tyrone Taylor took a home run away from David Peralta to open the second inning with a leaping grab above the wall.
Taylor put Milwaukee up 2-0 in the bottom half with an RBI single after Luis Urias singled with one out and advanced on a groundout.
–Field Level Media