Major League Baseball: Brewers 6, Royals 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Jhoulys Chacin had walked three batters each of his last three outings, so the Brewers veteran right-hander was surprised when the Kansas City Royals kept swinging early in the count.
They had no choice the way he was pounding the strike zone.
Chacin efficiently mowed through the Kansas City lineup Wednesday night, needing just 30 pitches through the first four innings, and ultimately left with two outs in the sixth. The Brewers stout bullpen kept the Royals scoreless the rest of the way for a 6-2 victory their eighth straight overall.
Chacin (2-1) did not allow a hit until two outs in the fourth, when Mike Moustakas went deep. He bounced back to allow one more run on four hits and a walk before the bullpen took over.
Milwaukees relief corps pushed its scoreless streak to 28 innings to wrap things up.
The Brewers scored all they needed off Jason Hamel (0-2) in the fourth inning on two hits, a walk, an error and a pair of sacrifice flies. Only three of the runs were earned after outfielder Jorge Soler dropped a would-be flyout to the groans of about 5,000 fans that braved the cold, wet weather.
Chacin tossed six shutout innings in beating the Marlins last week, and he was nearly as dominant Wednesday night. He held the Royals hitless until Moustakas went deep with two out in the fourth, got the next out and then left a pair of runners aboard in the fifth inning.
The Royals scratched out another run on Salvador Perezs fielders choice before Brewers manager Craig Counsell lifted Chacin after 64 pitches. Dan Jennings got the final out of the sixth.
Hammel allowed five hits and a pair of walks over 6 2/3 innings. Eric Stout finished the seventh, then coughed up two runs in the eighth to cap his major league debut.
UP NEXT
Kansas City plays the White Sox five times in the next four days, including a day-night doubleheader on Saturday. RHP Jakob Junis will start the series opener Thursday night.
