Dillon Peters impresses in Pirates debut, but Brewers win series finale

Dillon Peters was solid in his Pittsburgh Pirates debut. Yet it wasn’t enough to keep the Pirates from losing 2-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday at PNC Park.

Peters (0-1) took the loss after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis before the game. The left-hander gave up two runs (one earned) and five hits in 4²⁄₃ innings while striking out three, walking three and throwing 75 pitches.

“He did what we expected,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “He commanded the ball. He did a nice job of keeping a very right-handed lineup off balance.”

Shelton said Peters would get another start in the aftermath of right-hander Bryse Wilson being placed on the injured list Sunday with arm fatigue. Peters would be lined up to pitch Saturday against the Cardinals at St. Louis.

The Pirates (42-76) lost for 10th time in 11 games and went 5-14 in the season series against the National League Central-leading Brewers (72-47).

It was Peters’ first appearance in the major leagues this season. He compiled a 7-8 record and 5.83 ERA over four seasons with the Miami Marlins (2017-18) and Los Angeles Angels (2019-20) in 31 games (24 starts).

Peters said breaking in with a new team was not a big deal.

“I don’t want to say it’s like every other game, but it’s like every other game,” Peters said. “You’re pounding the zone, throwing to some hitters’ weaknesses and pitching to my strengths. I don’t think I’m going to change anything from a mentality standpoint other than it’s my turn to get the ball and get as far as I can into that game.”

Jacob Stallings worked with Peters for the first time, and the catcher believes the 28-year-old can make an impact on the Pirates rotation.

“I think he has some deception with the way he throws and with the way his ball moves, and he’s got good command,” Stallings said. “Deception and command are a good combination. He didn’t have his best curveball today, but I think next time, when he, hopefully, has a better curveball, he’ll be even tougher.”

The Pirates were held to four hits by left-hander Eric Lauer and five relief pitchers while striking out 13 times. Brent Suter (12-5) was the winner, and Josh Hader recorded his 23rd save.

After routing the Brewers, 14-4, in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Pirates scored only one run in 16 innings in the final two games of the series.

“I don’t think it makes it any harder,” Stallings said. “I think guys are going in and doing their best and competing. I don’t think it’s the type of situation where anyone is not playing hard or anything like that.

“It was nice to have a game like that. It was a great game for us to get in the win column again, but it doesn’t add or subtract to the frustration of a couple of bad games.”

The Pirates got strong work from their bullpen as four pitchers combined for 4¹⁄₃ scoreless innings.

Kyle Keller retired the only batter he faced after relieving Peters, then Duane Underwood Jr. pitched the sixth and seventh in his 25th outing of more than one inning in 38 appearances this season.

Chris Stratton and David Bednar pitched one inning apiece. Bednar, a rookie from Mars, has a 1.02 ERA in his last 15 games while holding opponents to a .169 batting average.

The Brewers scored an unearned run off Peters in the first inning. Willy Adames singled with one out, stole second, advanced to third on Eduardo Escobar’s infield single and continued home on second baseman Rodolfo Castro’s throwing error.

Christian Yelich’s RBI double in the third inning extended the Brewers’ lead to 2-0. The 2018 NL MVP hit a pair of doubles.

The Pirates got a run back in the bottom of the third when Kevin Newman led off with a double, was sacrificed to third on Peters’ bunt, then scored on Ben Gamel’s infield single. The Pirates had a chance for more, but Colin Moran hit an inning-ending flyout with runners on first and second.

Newman’s double came a day after he tied the major-league record by hitting four doubles in Saturday’s first game.

The Pirates again put runners on first and second in the sixth inning, but the threat ended when Stallings and Castro struck out.