Cruz went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI on Monday against the Brewers.

Cruz hit eighth in the order for the third straight game against a right-handed pitcher as the Pirates seek to get him on track at the plate. He showed some reasons for optimism with his three-hit performance, highlighted by a two-RBI single in the sixth inning that gave the team some insurance runs. Most importantly, Cruz struck out only once after punching out multiple times in seven of his previous 10 games.