Brandon Sproat pitched effectively into the sixth inning to earn his first career victory and Joey Ortiz homered for the first time since last July to pace the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-4 victory over the visiting San Diego Padres on Tuesday in the opener of the three-game series.
Milwaukee extended its winning streak to five games to move a season-high seven games above .500.
Milwaukee erased a 2-1 deficit with five runs in the fourth off knuckleballer Matt Waldron (1-2). The Brewers loaded the bases on a one-out double by William Contreras, a walk to Jake Bauers, and Garrett Mitchell’s single. Sal Frelick followed with a two-run single to left, David Hamilton beat out a bunt single to reload the bases and Ortiz lofted a sacrifice fly to center.
Brice Turang followed with an opposite-field two-run double down the left-field line to make it 6-2.
San Diego scored two runs in the top of the fourth to go in front 2-1. Xander Bogaerts reached on a fielder’s choice, Gavin Sheets walked and both advanced on a wild pitch. Nick Castellanos followed with a two-run single.
Miguel Andujar brought the Padres within 6-3 with a one-out solo homer in the sixth, his third. Andujar’s RBI double off Trevor Megill in the eighth made it 6-4.
Sproat (1-2) allowed three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings in his sixth start and eighth appearance this season. He struck out six and walked two. Sproat was 0-2 last season in four September starts with the Mets as a rookie.
Abner Uribe finished with a scoreless ninth for his fourth save in five opportunities.
Waldron, who followed a perfect first inning by opener Bradgley Rodriguez, was tagged for six runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Ortiz, who entered hitting .181 with one extra-base hit in 83 at-bats, put the Brewers in front 1-0 with two outs in the third, sending a 1-2 pitch from Waldron 395 feet to left for his first homer since last July 19 against the Dodgers.
