Jacob Misiorowski set the tone with three shutout innings and the Milwaukee Brewers blanked the host Baltimore Orioles for the second game in a row, winning 3-0 on Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep and set a franchise record for regular-season victories.
William Contreras homered, and Cooper Pratt provided two run-scoring singles with two outs. Jake Bauers walked twice and scored twice.
Milwaukee (98-58) is two games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the National League. They had matched last year’s mark of 97 wins by winning 1-0 Saturday.
Misiorowski struck out four batters during his 44-pitch outing. His ERA dipped to 1.86 after he allowed one hit and no walks. The Brewers are limiting the right-hander’s innings late in the regular season in preparation for the postseason.
Antonio Senzatela, JoJo Romero, Chad Patrick, Kyle Harrison, DL Hall and Trevor Megill followed Misiorowski to the mound. Hall (4-0) was dubbed the winning pitcher with his 1 2/3-inning stint, while Megill’s ninth-inning work earned him his 29th save.
The Orioles (75-81) further damaged their fading playoff hopes, losing the first three games of the homestand to fall five games back of the Chicago White Sox for the final American League wild-card spot. It marked the fourth game this month that they’ve been shut out.
Colton Cowser had two of Baltimore’s four hits. The Orioles stranded eight runners and were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.
Orioles starter Brandon Young (9-5) struck out nine batters in six innings. He was charged with two runs on three hits and three walks.
Reliever Felix Bautista, the former closer making his season debut after a long comeback from major shoulder surgery, allowed Milwaukee’s seventh-inning run.
Pratt gave the Brewers, who improved to 46-32 in road games, their first run with his second-inning single which scored Bauers.
Contreras belted his 18th homer of the season in the fourth. Pratt provided another run with his second hit of the game in the seventh, again scoring Bauers.
Milwaukee batters combined to strike out 14 times.
