Stewart's 3 RBIs help Pirates solve Brewers

[September 12, 2015]  PITTSBURGH -- Chris Stewart often points to his head after he gets a hit and he was doing more pointing than normal Friday night.

The backup catcher had three hits and three RBIs and right-hander Charlie Morton pitched six strong inning as the Pirates beat the Brewers 6-3, ending their seven-game losing streak against Milwaukee.

Stewart's two-run single capped a three-run fourth inning and put the Pirates ahead for good, 3-2. Getting a start while Francisco Cervelli got a night off, Stewart added an RBI single in the sixth.

Stewart tied a career high with his third three-hit game of the season and fifth of his nine-year career.

So what's with the pointing?

"It just means that it was smart hitting," Stewart said. "For me, smart hitting is any time I can get a ball to find someone outfield grass because that means a knock."

He then laughed.

"Tonight, smart hitting was being lucky enough to find the holes in the infield," Stewart said.

Morton (9-7) snapped a three-start losing streak as the right-hander allowed two runs and three hits while walking two and striking out two.

Closer Mark Melancon pitched a perfect ninth for his 45th save in 47 opportunities.

The Pirates (84-56) closed within four games of first-place St. Louis in the National League Central as the Cardinals' game at Cincinnati was suspended.

The Brewers (63-78) had been unbeaten against the Pirates since the All-Star break, sweeping two three-game series in Milwaukee and winning the opener of the four-game series Thursday night.

"I just think at this point, if it wasn't before then it's even more so now, regardless of who we're playing, we have to win," Morton said. "We're a good team. We can beat anybody and we've just got to win, doesn't matter who it is."

Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson (11-12) lost for the just the second time in six decisions against the Pirates this season, giving up four runs and four hits in five-plus innings with three walks and two strikeouts.

Brewers first baseman Adam Lind hit a two-run homer, his 19th home run of the season, in the first inning off Morton after third baseman Elian Herrera doubled to give Milwaukee an early lead.

Morton shut out Milwaukee in the next five innings and allowed only one hit before being lifted.

"It was the just one bad pitch (to Lind)," Morton said. "It wasn't really anything different after that. Guys make bad pitches. I made a bad pitch, but I just moved on."

Center fielder Logan Schafer had two hits for the Brewers.

The Pirates stretched their lead to 6-2 in the seventh when rookie third baseman Jung Ho Kang hit an RBI double and scored on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Neil Walker.

Hernan Perez had a pinch-RBI single in the eighth for the Brewers, who loaded the bases before left-hander Tony Watson got pinch-hitter Ryan Braun to hit an inning-ending groundout.

"(Watson) kept the game in place," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "He is very resilient, so sold and very effective against very good hitters. We needed a stop right there and he gave it to us."

With the Brewers 26 games behind the Cardinals in the division race, manager Craig Counsell liked how his team showed some fight.

"I loved that eighth inning how we put something together," Counsell said. "We got Braun up there with the bases loaded and that was our shot. We put a good inning together against Watson. We got our big guy up there and it just didn't work out."

Shortstop Jordy Mercer drove in the Pirates' first run with an infield single in the fourth before Stewart hit his two-run single. That came after Nelson had walked the bases loaded.

"I just didn't command the ball the way I was supposed to," Nelson said.

NOTES: Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy missed his third straight game with a concussion and will be examined Saturday morning by concussion specialist Mickey Collins at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. ... Pirates LF Starling Marte was not in the starting lineup because of left shoulder discomfort but entered the game in the seventh inning as a defensive replacement. ... Pirates 3B Aramis Ramirez made the third start at first base of his 18-year career, all coming within the last four games, as 1B Pedro Alvarez was again benched. ... Milwaukee rookie RHP Zach Davies (1-0, 3.97 ERA) faces Pittsburgh LHP Jeff Locke (7-10 4.56) on Saturday night in the third game of the four-game series.

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