Brewers 7, Pirates 1

MILWAUKEE – Ben Sheets threw a four-hitter for his first win since the All-Star break, Bill Hall drove in four runs and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-1 to salvage a split of their four-game series.

Hall and Keith Ginter homered for the Brewers, who had lost eight consecutive series and 12 of 13.

Sheets (10-10), the first Brewers starter to earn a win since Victor Santos on Aug. 17, last won on July 10 against Cincinnati, a span of 10 starts.

Sheets walked one and struck out nine. He allowed a double to the second batter he faced, Jack Wilson, but didn’t allow another hit until Tike Redman’s single in the sixth.

Hall snapped an 0-for-14 skid in the second with a three-run homer off lefty Dave Williams (0-1), who was making his first start since May 27, 2002. Hall added a run-scoring single off Nelson Figueroa in the sixth.

With a runner at second, Williams intentionally walked Brady Clark and Hall sent a 1-0 pitch over the left-field wall for his ninth homer and a 5-0 lead. It was Milwaukee’s first home run in 175 at-bats.

Geoff Jenkins’ RBI triple past a diving Rob Mackowiak in right field gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead in the first. Jenkins scored on Ginter’s dribbler that eluded Williams and first baseman Daryle Ward.

Williams, who came off the 15-day disabled list (ribs) Tuesday, gave up five runs and five hits in 3 2-3 innings. He has lost his last five decisions as a starter since winning 3-2 at Miller Park on April 17, 2002. He spent last season at Triple-A Nashville after beginning the year on the 60-day DL while recovering from left shoulder surgery in July 2002.

Ty Wigginton’s 14th homer, a solo shot to center in the seventh, made it 6-1. Ginter led off the bottom half with his 12th homer, making it 7-1.

Brewers shortstop Craig Counsell was hitless in four at-bats, extending his skid to 0-for-29.

Notes: Jenkins’ triple was his career-high fifth. He had four in 2000. … The Brewers have put together consecutive wins just once in their last 50 games, on Aug. 8 against Florida and Aug. 10 against Atlanta after a day off. … Clark, the Brewers’ leadoff hitter with Scott Podsednik getting the day off, reached on a hit-by-pitch, an intentional walk and catcher’s interference in his first three trips to the plate, then doubled in his fourth plate appearance. … The seven runs were the Brewers’ most since an 8-7 win over Pittsburgh on Aug. 1. … Sheets’ 213 strikeouts are second to Teddy Higuera’s franchise record of 240 set in 1987. Sheets broke the Milwaukee record for a right-hander of 211 whiffs set by the Braves’ Tony Cloninger in 1965.

AP-ES-09-02-04 1637EDT