MILWAUKEE -- Christian Yelich hit a first-inning home run for the second straight game but the Brewers couldn't muster much else off Ivan Nova and lost, 3-1, to the Pirates on Saturday night at Miller Park.
Nova held the Brewers to four hits over six innings, and he retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced before giving way to the Pirates bullpen, which worked out of jams in each of the last three innings. Zach Davies gave up two runs in his third straight five-inning start for the Brewers.
With the loss, Milwaukee falls 2 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the National League Central, and its lead for the top NL Wild Card spot is three games over the Dodgers.