Pirates pick up first victory of season with 6-2 win over Brewers

Win: Jeff Locke (1-0)

Loss: Mike Fiers (0-1)

One team was going to start 0-4 and it wasn’t the Pittsburgh Pirates who opened their three game series with the Brewers in earning a 6-2 win tonight at Miller Park.

Pedro Alvarez continued his hot bat with a home run and drove in two runs.

Neil Walker went 3-5 with 2 doubles.

The Pirates had a three-run second inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Neil Walker led off with a double and Alvarez drove Walker in with a single to center. Jordy Mercer would add a sacrifice fly and Jeff Locke made contributions on the mound but also at the plate with an RBI double in the second to put the Pirates up 3-0.

Locke went six innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 earned runs. Locke’s command, an area that’s often a concern for him was strong, walking just one batter and throwing 60 strikes on 90 pitches.

Relievers Jared Hughes, Antonio Bastardo and Arquimedes Caminero combined to throw three scoreless innings to close out the game.

Caminero pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning and continues to flash nasty stuff.

After Ryan Braun cut the Pirates lead to 4-2 with a two-run homer in the fourth, Starling Marte had a sacrifice fly in the fifth to push the Pirates lead to 5-2. Marte had no sacrifice flys in 2014 in 495 at-bats.

Marte would then add a solo homer in the eighth, his first home run of the season.

Up Next: Vance Worley takes the mound for the Pirates tomorrow night.