Colin Rea allowed two hits over seven shutout innings and the Milwaukee Brewers completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Cleveland Guardians with a 2-0 win on Sunday afternoon.
Rea (11-4) struck out five, didn’t walk a batter and hit two.
Bryan Hudson came in to get three outs in the eighth after Rea hit Jhonkensy Noel for the second time to lead off an inning.
Milwaukee closer Devin Williams was not available after pitching three of the past four days so the Brewers turned to left-hander Jared Koenig, who blew his only two save opportunities earlier this season, but he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first major league save.
Brice Turang had two hits and scored a run for Milwaukee, which has won five straight and 10 consecutive games against interleague opponents. The Brewers climbed a season-high 20 games over .500.
Cleveland starter Ben Lively (10-8) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, striking out five and walking two.
Cleveland had won five in a row heading into the Milwaukee series.
The Brewers struck early when Turang led off the first with a triple into the right field corner. Lively nearly escaped the inning unscathed after getting Jackson Chourio to ground out to second with the infield in and William Contreras to pop out to foul territory, but Willy Adames came through with a two-out single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, Joey Ortiz hit a slow roller through the right side on a hit-and-run with Sal Frelick to put runners on the corners with one out. Frelick then scored on a groundout to short by No. 9 hitter Eric Haase to extend the lead to 2-0.
Rea did not allow a hit until Steven Kwan singled with two outs in the sixth.
–Field Level Media