SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — William Contreras had three hits and drove in a run, Garrett Mitchell hit a home run and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Aaron Civale (6-8) allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings, pitching well against the Giants after throwing seven shutout innings against them two weeks ago at home and improving to 4-2 since being traded to the Brewers from the Rays in July.
“They came out a little aggressive on some pitches in the zone, (and I) just came back at them with some aggressive pitches of my own,” Civale said. “Just tried keep the ball in the zone in spots that felt they couldn’t handle super well, and I did that for the most part.”
The NL Central-leading Brewers, who entered the game having lost four of five, are now 8 1/2 games ahead of the Cubs in the division. The Giants fell eight games back of the third NL wild card.
Milwaukee improved to an NL-best 66-3 when leading after seven innings.
“I can criticize a couple things here and there, but I thought the guys competed again,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Another close game. It’s about our 90th this year within one or two runs.”
Four of the Brewers’ first five batters got hits to start the game off Giants starter Landon Roupp (0-1). Contreras singled home Jackson Chourio, and Willy Adames knocked in Contreras to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead.
Matt Chapman hit an RBI double in the bottom of the first for the Giants. Mitchell and Mike Yastrzemski traded solo homers in the sixth inning.
Mitchell, who was looking for a fastball but wound up driving out an offspeed pitch from Tristan Beck on the first pitch, delivered a key insurance run. The Brewers’ focus is not on the magic number to clinch the NL Central, which slipped to nine with Tuesday’s win, he said.
“I think today was just about coming out, playing our brand of baseball and bringing it to them,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, it gets exciting as you get closer to the end, knowing that’s coming. But I don’t think that’s the prime focus.”
DL Hall, Trevor Megill and Devin Williams combined to shut out the Giants over the final 3 2/3 innings. Williams earned his 10th save, striking out Tyler Fitzgerald with the tying run on second to end the game.
Roupp settled down after the first, allowing two runs in five innings with no walks. The 26-year-old made his first career start for the Giants on his birthday, getting the late call to replace scheduled starter and fellow rookie Hayden Birdsong.
“Couldn’t have had a better birthday present,” Roupp said.
Giants manager Bob Melvin said that Birdsong was feeling fine, but wanted Roupp — who had made 19 appearances out of the bullpen but had not pitched since last Thursday — to not go too long without pitching.
“I felt really good,” Roupp said. “I felt like I pounded the strike zone. In the first inning inning, I let a couple of pitches leak over the zone and gave up some early hits. But after that, I felt like I locked in and settled in.”
Roupp is an option to both start and come out of the bullpen, Melvin said.
“He has the repertoire,” he said. “He’s been a starter before. We like him both ways, but good to see him stretched out some and give us five innings and certainly keep us in a game.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: RHP Jordan Hicks (right shoulder inflammation) was scheduled to pitch in a rehab assignment with Single-A San Jose on Tuesday … LHP Robbie Ray (left hamstring strain) is set to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
LHP Blake Snell (2-3, 3.62 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the Giants on Wednesday, opposite RHP Colin Rea (12-4, 3.72 ERA) for the Brewers.
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This story has been corrected to show that the Brewers are 8 1/2 games, not 4 1/2 games, ahead of the Cubs in the NL Central.
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