Brewers muscle past Astros to open three-game set

Christian Yelich had a two-run home run and Tobias Myers led a stellar pitching effort in the Milwaukee Brewers' 5-1 victory over the visiting Houston Astros on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.

Myers (1-0) allowed one run on six hits in 5 1/3 innings, bouncing back from his previous start when he lasted just two innings.

Astros starter Ronel Blanco (2-3) allowed three runs, all in the third inning. He yielded seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts in six innings.

The Brewers got on the board when Joey Ortiz opened with a bloop double into shallow left-center and scored on William Contreras' two-out single. Yelich followed with his sixth homer, sending a 2-2 pitch 413 feet to right-center for his first homer since April 22.

Houston scored one in the sixth, but squandered an opportunity for more. Jose Altuve doubled with one out and moved to third when first baseman Rhys Hoskins couldn't corral Isaac Paredes' grounder for an infield single.

Altuve scored when Myers threw wildly to second on Christian Walker's comebacker, with Paredes safe at second and Walker at first. Yainer Diaz singled to load the bases, chasing Myers. Nick Mears entered, fanned Zach Dezenzo and got Jake Meyers on an inning-ending bouncer to short.

The Brewers' bullpen preserved the lead over the final three innings. Jared Koenig, Grant Anderson and Joel Payamps each followed Mears with a scoreless inning.

The Brewers added two runs in the eighth. Yelich walked with one out, stole second and came home on Hoskins' double. Jake Bauers followed with an RBI single.

Brewers third baseman Vinny Capra also singled in the eighth to snap an 0-for-36 skid.

Prior to the game, the Astros placed outfielder Yordan Alvarez on the 10-day injured list with right-hand inflammation, recalling catcher Cesar Salazar from Triple-A Sugar Land.

--Field Level Media