Kuhl, Rodriguez pitch 2-hitter as Pirates pummel Brewers 9-0

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers bring out the best in Chad Kuhl.

Kuhl and Richard Rodriguez combined on a two-hitter, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Brewers 9-0 on Sunday.

Kuhl is 3-0 with a 1.91 ERA in six starts against the Brewers, and the Pirates are unbeaten in those games.

"There were a few games last year that really stand out," Kuhl said. "This is up there, just for the amount of weak contact and all that. It was one of my better ones, for sure."

Adam Frazier, Jordy Mercer and Josh Bell hit solo homers for the Pirates.

Kuhl (4-2) allowed one hit in seven innings, struck out eight and walked two, lowering his ERA from 5.01 to 4.12. Domingo Santana singled in the second and was erased on a double play.

"His secondary pitch command today was as good as I've ever seen it," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "His fastball probably had the most finish we've seen this season."

Kuhl settled in after going to three balls on each of the first four batters.

"He's got a real good arm. He's throwing hard. There was obviously no pressure on him at all today," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

Rodriguez struck out his first four batters, allowed Hernan Perez's single up the middle, then stuck out his final two hitters.

Chase Anderson (3-3) gave up five runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Anderson has given up 10 home runs in 45 1/3 innings, after allowing 14 all last season in 141 1/3 innings.

"When you don't hit your spots and you pitch in a place like this, and if the ball's up a little bit, balls are going to tend to fly out of the park," Anderson said.

Frazier hit his first leadoff homer, his second home run this season, and Corey Dickerson added an RBI double later in the inning.

Mercer's first homer since Sept. 11 made it 3-0 in the second. The Pirates added four runs in the sixth on a leadoff triple by Starling Marte and five consecutive one-out singles. Dickerson, Colin Moran, Mercer and Chad Kuhl drove in runs.

Bell homered in the seventh against Jorge Lopez.

"There was not much good to report about today's game," Counsell said.

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