LDN - Sports

Pirates bang out 13 hits in win over Brewers

[September 21, 2016] MILWAUKEE -- The odds are against them at the moment, but the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't giving up hope of a miraculous September run to the post-season.

They took a step in that direction Tuesday night, pounding out 13 hits in a 6-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Pittsburgh's offense led the charge. The Pirates got to work early against Brewers right-hander Matt Garza, who allowed five runs on eight hits and a pair of walks with three strikeouts over his four innings of work.

Adam Frazier got things started with a leadoff single in the first -- the first of his three hits on the day. Josh Bell followed with a walk and Andrew McCutchen cashed in with a double down the left-field line to make it a 2-0 game.

McCutchen and Jody Mercer each finished with two hits and a pair of RBI, while Francisco Cervelli notched a pair of hits and scored twice.

"We have got young players, two rookies at the top of the lineup that have given us an offensive shot in the arm," Hurdle said. "

Milwaukee got on the board in the third when catcher Cervelli couldn't handle Sean Rodriguez's relay throw on Domingo Santana's double, allowing Chris Carter to score from first.

Mercer restored the two-run lead with a two-out RBI single in the fourth but Maldonado got the run back in the bottom of the inning, sending a 1-1 offering from Brault to left-center for his eight home run of the season.

Garza's day ended in the fifth, after Bell's two run single with no outs made it 5-2.

"He's been pitching really well," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "It just wasn't his night tonight."

Garza left without speaking to reporters.

The Brewers squandered a golden opportunity in the bottom of the frame, putting two on with nobody out and chasing starter Steven Brault.

"Where we are in the season right now, I felt (Brault) gave us (enough)," Hurdle said. "It is a sticky situation. You want guys who can come in and have some experience and take care of it from there."

The move paid off. Pittsburgh turned to Jared Hughes (1-1) to face Chris Carter, who hit a chopper right at third baseman Jung Ho Kang that allowed Jonathan Villar to score but resulted in a momentum-killing double play.

"We ended up scoring a run, but that's two outs right there on one pitch," Carter said. "That kind of changed the momentum right there."

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Hughes got out of the inning by striking out Domingo Santana.

"That certainly was the play of the game," Counsell said. "Middle of the order up ... nobody out. That was definitely a big play."

Brault allowed three runs on five hits and a pair of walks while striking out four in his 12th career start.

"I kept my team in it," Brault said. "Even though I couldn't go the five and get the win, I kept my team in it and we got the win. We are making a playoff push, that is all that really matters right now."

Pittsburgh added an insurance run in the sixth against Ben Rowan when Mercer drove in Cervelli to make it a three-run game.

Milwaukee threatened once more in the sixth, putting two on with one out for Maldonado, but again, the Pirates escaped thanks to a double play and the Brewers managed just one baserunner over the final three innings.

NOTES: Brewers LF Ryan Braun and C Manny Pina were not with the team Tuesday as each joined their respective wives for the brith of their children. ... Milwaukee selected the contract of C/1B Josmil Pinto from Triple-A Colorado Springs Tuesday. Pinto, claimed off waivers from San Diego last December, batted .308 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI in 86 games for Colorado Springs this season. He hasn't played in the majors since 2014, when he appeared in 57 games for Minnesota. ... Pirates C Chris Stewart underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday and will not play again this season. Stewart began experiencing problems in the knee in June and landed on the disabled list a month later. He returned briefly in September but was placed on the 60-day DL on Sept. 13. He is batting .214 in 133 plate appearances this season. ... The Pirates swept a four-game series in their last visit to Milwaukee -- their first sweep there since 2004 -- but have gone 21-64 at Miller Park since the start of the 2007 season, and 60-103 overall against the Brewers during that same stretch.

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