Vargas Fans 11 As Brewers Top Pirates

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Claudio Vargas reacts after getting Pittsburgh Pirates' Ronny Paulino to strike out during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 18, 2007, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) (Morry Gash - AP)

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers pitching coach Mike Maddux chuckled at the mound while chatting to his newest pitching project, Claudio Vargas, who was in quite a jam in the fourth inning with the bases loaded and nobody out.

"No jokes," said Maddux, who tried a little laughter to diffuse the situation. "(I) just reassured him he was going to get out of it and how he was going to get out of it."

Did Vargas ever.

Vargas struck out the next three batters on his way to a career-high 11 over six innings and the 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 the 28-pitch fourth inning.

"I try to make my pitches and see what happens," said Vargas, who was acquired from Arizona along with Johnny Estrada and Greg Aquino in the offseason for Doug Davis, Dana Eveland and Dave Krynzel. "I never think, 'This guy will get a hit, on board, a double play, a grand slam or a strikeout.' I pitch and deal with what happens."

Bill Hall hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, but also continued to struggle in center field, committing his fourth error this season.

"Billy's got a bad habit where he's getting the ball in his glove and flipping it out of his glove into his hand," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "He really needs to work on getting the ball and getting his hand in the glove."

Hall's mistake didn't faze Vargas, who finished his evening with two final strikeouts _ Xavier Nady for the second time and Ronny Paulino for the third time _ to end the sixth.

"You've got to give a little bit of credit to Claudio Vargas, he was throwing the ball well," said Jason Bay, who was a single short of hitting for the cycle. "You don't strike out 11 or whatever it was by accident."

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. Maholm, who gave up five runs and 10 hits and struck out three in six innings, said he left a sinker out over the plate to Hall.