Apr 19, 2007 3 min read

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Claudio Vargas struck out a career-high 11 over six innings, Bill Hall drove in three runs and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 Wednesday night in the wacky opener of a two-game set. Vargas (1-0) worked in and out of trouble all night, highlighted by a 28-pitch fourth inning that ended with him striking out the side. While Hall provided the biggest sparks on offense, he also continued to struggle in center field, committing his fourth error this season.

Vargas wasn’t fazed, and finished his evening with two strikeouts – Xavier Nady for the second time and Ronny Paulino for the third time – to end the sixth.

Milwaukee, playing another of its 22 straight games against divisional opponents in the NL Central, opened a 3-0 lead in the first against Pirates starter Paul Maholm.

The left-handed Maholm (0-2), who hadn’t pitched in a game in a week, gave up an RBI single to Kevin Mench and a two-run homer to Hall, the next batter.

Jason Bay answered with a solo drive in the second, the 100th of his career and 99th with Pittsburgh.

But that was the only earned run allowed by Vargas, who manager Ned Yost said has pitched so well that the Brewers are sticking with a five-man rotation even through off days.

Vargas, who gave five hits, two runs and two walks, showed why Yost has faith in him in the fourth.

After a bloop single by Freddy Sanchez, who returned to the lineup after missing a game with a sore left wrist, Vargas walked Adam LaRoche and Bay to load the bases with nobody out.

Vargas got a visit from pitching coach Mike Maddux, then struck out Nady, Paulino and Jose Bautista.

The Brewers’ plan to give Prince Fielder a day off once a month despite not having a reserve first baseman led to 12-year veteran Damian Miller making his first career start there and fourth ever appearance, the last coming in 2000. His inexperience cost Milwaukee a run in the fifth after three errors on two plays.

Chris Duffy, who also had an RBI groundout in the seventh, singled hard off Miller’s glove, and a pickoff throw by Vargas bounced away from Miller for an error advancing Duffy.

A second attempted pickoff, this time to second base, went into center field where Hall misplayed the ball, allowing Duffy to score to cut Milwaukee’s lead to 3-2. Vargas and Hall were charged with errors on the play.

But Hall and Miller made up for their mistakes in the sixth, with Hall hitting an RBI double and Miller a two-out RBI single for a 5-2 lead. Maholm was finished after the inning, allowing 10 hits and striking out three.

NOTES: Fielder played first after a double-switch in the seventh. He singled and was caught stealing. … Bay, who was a single short of hitting for the cycle, is the sixth Canadian with at least 100 HRs. Larry Walker leads all Canadians with 368. … Yost said Miller would catch Thursday’s game. … Brewers RHP Jose Capellan was placed on the minor league restricted list on Wednesday.