Contreras has 3 hits, Mitchell homers and Brewers beat Giants 3-2

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — William Contreras had three hits and drove in a run, Garrett Mitchell hit a home run and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Aaron Civale (6-8) allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings, pitching well against the Giants after throwing seven shutout innings against them two weeks ago at home and improving to 4-2 since being traded to the Brewers from the Rays in July.

“They came out a little aggressive on some pitches in the zone, (and I) just came back at them with some aggressive pitches of my own,” Civale said. “Just tried keep the ball in the zone in spots that felt they couldn’t handle super well, and I did that for the most part.”

The NL Central-leading Brewers, who entered the game having lost four of five, are now 8 1/2 games ahead of the Cubs in the division. The Giants fell eight games back of the third NL wild card.

Milwaukee improved to an NL-best 66-3 when leading after seven innings.

“I can criticize a couple things here and there, but I thought the guys competed again,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Another close game. It’s about our 90th this year within one or two runs.”

Four of the Brewers' first five batters got hits to start the game off Giants starter Landon Roupp (0-1). Contreras singled home Jackson Chourio, and Willy Adames knocked in Contreras to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead.

Matt Chapman hit an RBI double in the bottom of the first for the Giants. Mitchell and Mike Yastrzemski traded solo homers in the sixth inning.

Mitchell, who was looking for a fastball but wound up driving out an offspeed pitch from Tristan Beck on the first pitch, delivered a key insurance run. The Brewers' focus is not on the magic number to clinch the NL Central, which slipped to nine with Tuesday's win, he said.

“I think today was just about coming out, playing our brand of baseball and bringing it to them,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, it gets exciting as you get closer to the end, knowing that’s coming. But I don’t think that’s the prime focus.”

DL Hall, Trevor Megill and Devin Williams combined to shut out the Giants over the final 3 2/3 innings. Williams earned his 10th save, striking out Tyler Fitzgerald with the tying run on second to end the game.

Roupp settled down after the first, allowing two runs in five innings with no walks. The 26-year-old made his first career start for the Giants on his birthday, getting the late call to replace scheduled starter and fellow rookie Hayden Birdsong.

“Couldn’t have had a better birthday present,” Roupp said.

Giants manager Bob Melvin said that Birdsong was feeling fine, but wanted Roupp — who had made 19 appearances out of the bullpen but had not pitched since last Thursday — to not go too long without pitching.

“I felt really good," Roupp said. “I felt like I pounded the strike zone. In the first inning inning, I let a couple of pitches leak over the zone and gave up some early hits. But after that, I felt like I locked in and settled in."

Roupp is an option to both start and come out of the bullpen, Melvin said.

“He has the repertoire," he said. “He’s been a starter before. We like him both ways, but good to see him stretched out some and give us five innings and certainly keep us in a game.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: RHP Jordan Hicks (right shoulder inflammation) was scheduled to pitch in a rehab assignment with Single-A San Jose on Tuesday … LHP Robbie Ray (left hamstring strain) is set to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday.

UP NEXT

LHP Blake Snell (2-3, 3.62 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the Giants on Wednesday, opposite RHP Colin Rea (12-4, 3.72 ERA) for the Brewers.

This story has been corrected to show that the Brewers are 8 1/2 games, not 4 1/2 games, ahead of the Cubs in the NL Central.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Milwaukee Brewers' Blake Perkins (16) hugs teammate Sal Frelick, right, after a victory against the San Francisco Giants in a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill throws against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

San Francisco Giants' Mike Yastrzemski, right, is congratulated by third base coach Matt Williams (9) as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

San Francisco Giants pitcher Taylor Rogers throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz, left, is tagged out at home plate by San Francisco Giants pitcher Tristan Beck as he tries to score from third on a wild pitch in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

San Francisco Giants' Mike Yastrzemski gestures as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz hits a triple against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz gestures after hitting a triple against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz slides into third base after hitting a triple against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Devin Williams (38) is congratulated by catcher William Contreras (24) after a victory against the San Francisco Giants in a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka has rewarded Kamindu Mendis for his profitable tour of England by moving him up the batting order for the two-test series against New Zealand starting on Wednesday in Galle.

Mendis reaped a century and two half-centuries from his fourth, fifth and sixth career tests over the past month in England, where he was Sri Lanka's player of the series lost 2-1. In his brief test career, he has three hundreds and four fifties.

It was time to move him from No. 7 to No. 5 in the lineup, Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya said on Tuesday.

“There was lot of discussion that Kamindu has to move up the order when we were in England. Too often he was batting with the tail and we felt that we need to make the best use of him,” Jayasuriya said.

Former captain Dinesh Chandimal, who occupied the No. 5 slot, has been moved to No. 3 and stripped of wicketkeeping duty. Kusal Mendis, no relation to Kamindu, will keep wickets and bat at No. 7.

Sri Lanka is expected to make two more changes from the side that beat England in the third test last week at the Oval. Seam bowlers Vishwa Fernando and Milan Ratnayake are expected to make way for spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis.

“Our fast bowlers have done well, but it's horses for courses and we have to back spin in Galle,” Jayasuriya said.

Spin-friendly Galle favors the home team, but New Zealand has done well in these contests. Sri Lanka last won a series against the Black Caps in 2009. The last two series in Sri Lanka in 2012 and 2019 ended 1-1.

New Zealand has retired Sri Lanka great Rangana Herath on its staff to help its spinners, but the weather might be a bigger influence. The forecast across the test is not good.

The visitors will be used to that. Rain and a soggy outfield washed out all five days of New Zealand's scheduled one-off test against Afghanistan last week in Greater Noida, India. That was also to be New Zealand's warmup for this series.

“Disappointing, no doubt, but we cannot control the weather,” New Zealand captain Tim Southee said. “It would have been nice to have a test match against an ever improving side. However, we have had some good training and have spent time together both in India and in Galle.”

While New Zealand hasn't played a test since March, it won't be cold for long.

“Eight test matches between now and December is lot of cricket. We are excited," Southee said. "We are ranked three in the World Test Championship and it’s an opportunity for us to get some points and move forward.”

He has another personal milestone in sight, too. Southee needs 20 more wickets to become the second New Zealander to take 400 in tests after Richard Hadlee's 431.

“I have played for a long time and when you do that you come closer to these milestones,” said Southee, who has 100 caps. “We have a lot of tours ahead. Especially in this part of the world. Every game you are going out to do your role and take wickets for the side. It will be nice if I can achieve those milestones. But the focus is on winning games.”

Lineups:

Sri Lanka squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Oshada Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake.

New Zealand squad: Tim Southee (captain), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson and Will Young.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis during day three of the Third Rothesay Men's Test at The Kia Oval, London, Sunday Sept. 8, 2024. ( John Walton/PA via AP)

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis bats during day two of the Third Rothesay Men's Test match between England and Sri Lanka in London, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)