Brewers' 7-game winning streak vs. Pirates ends in 6-3 loss
PITTSBURGH -- The Milwaukee Brewers entered Friday's game in Pittsburgh unbeaten against the Pirates since the All-Star break.
The seven-game winning streak looked like it would extend to eight as Jimmy Nelson began with three hitless innings.
But Pittsburgh scored three runs in the fourth and the Pirates went on to beat the Brewers 6-3 on Friday night to end their skid against Milwaukee.
"I don't think the pitches necessarily changed," manager Craig Counsell said. "A couple of walks hurt (Nelson) and then he had two strikes on a couple guys and just couldn't finish them off."
Nelson entered his start with a 4-1 record and 1.72 ERA against the Pirates this season. The Pirates scratched their first run off him on Jordy Mercer's infield single that shortstop Luis Sardinas fielded near the outfield grass behind second base.
"That's a tough play that you hope you get an out on," Counsell said. "That was a big play that inning."
Chris Stewart then hit a two-run single as a part of his three-hit, three-RBI day to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead they never relinquished.
Nelson (11-12) yielded four runs and four hits in five-plus innings. He said nothing changed between the third and fourth innings.
"I didn't have my command," Nelson said. "I got away with a few pitches early on."
Nelson was pushed out in the sixth before he could record an out after the first two hitters of the inning reached base.
"We hit a lot of balls on the ground (early) because his two-seam fastball was working well," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "We just got better looks, got better pitches to hit, got the pitch count up and took advantage of the one real opportunity we had in the fourth."
Adam Lind hit a two-run home run, his 19th, in the first inning off Morton after Elian Herrera doubled to stake the Brewers to an early lead. Logan Schafer had two hits for Milwaukee.
The Pirates stretched their lead to 6-2 in the seventh inning when Jung Ho Kang hit an RBI double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Neil Walker.
Hernan Perez had a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth for the Brewers, who loaded the bases before Tony Watson got pinch-hitter Ryan Braun to hit an inning-ending groundout.
"We got Braun up there with the bases loaded and that was our shot," Counsell said. "We put a good inning together against Watson. We got our big guy up there and it just didn't work out."
The Pirates pulled within four games of St. Louis for first place in the NL Central. The Cardinals had their game with Cincinnati suspended in the eighth inning tied 2-2.
Charlie Morton (9-7) snapped a three-start losing streak, allowing two runs and three hits while walking two and striking out two.
Mark Melancon struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 45th save in 47 chances.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: C Jonathan Lucroy (concussion) missed his third straight game and will be examined Saturday by concussion specialist Mickey Collins at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Pirates: LF Starling Marte (left shoulder discomfort) was held out of the lineup after being hit by a pitch from Brewers RHP Wily Peralta on Thursday night but entered the game in the seventh inning as a defensive replacement.
DAY OF REST
Braun, normally the right fielder, and shortstop Jean Segura were rested. The Brewers beat the Pirates in 13 innings on Thursday night in a game that lasted four hours, 44 minutes and came on the heels of a game Wednesday night at Miami followed by an early morning arrival in Pittsburgh. Braun entered as a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded in the eighth and finished the game in right field.
