PITTSBURGH -- When the Milwaukee Brewers lose, they generally have lost big. The trend continued Sunday.
Zach Davies allowed six runs on nine hits and failed to get out of a five-run third inning, and the Brewers lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-3 on Sunday.
Milwaukee's average margin of defeat in its seven losses is 5.6 runs. Five times, they've lost by five or more.
"To me, that's starting pitching," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Our starters got to give us a chance.
"If you're going to count on five or six innings from your bullpen, you're going to wear those guys out. Our starters have got to do their job."
That was far from the case Sunday, when Davies (0-1) was chased during a third inning in which seven consecutive Pirates reached -- aided by some shoddy Brewers defense -- and five scored.
"(The third inning) was just frustrating," Davies said, "but that's baseball. Balls are going to find holes. Sometimes you're going to get guys that make diving stops and eliminate those kinds of hits. It can go either way."
Andrew McCutchen homered for the second straight day, Matt Joyce and Gregory Polanco each had three of the Pittsburgh Pirates' 17 hits. Sean Rodriguez had a two-run homer and Josh Harrison and John Jaso each had two hits for the Pirates, who took the series from the Brewers after a loss in the opener Friday
The Pirates entered Sunday with only five home runs this season, fewest in the National League. They had season highs in runs, hits and homers Sunday.
"The club has continued to build some momentum as far as the battle-in-the-box mentality," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "We saw over 170 pitches."
The lone fruitful inning the Brewers managed offensively was the fourth, when they cut a Pirates' 6-0 lead in half by way of a RBI single by Chris Carter and a two-run hit by Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
Milwaukee was largely shut down by Juan Nicasio (2-1) and three relievers. Nicasio allowed three runs over six innings for Pittsburgh, retiring the first nine and the final five he faced.
"We had kind of limited opportunities," Counsell said. "We had a three-run inning (but) from then on, we (had) a couple of rallies but we weren't able to get anything else going."
Davies was pounded by the Pirates for the third time in seven career starts. He has a 13.94 ERA in 10 1/3 career innings against the Pirates. He is 3-1 with a 1.38 ERA in four starts against other teams.
Sunday, Pittsburgh preached patience with its gameplan. Davies labored through 69 pitches, including 27 in the first inning and 23 in the fourth that went so sour.
"You've just got to shake it, you've got to keep making pitches and it just kept kind of snowballing with balls finding holes after the first one, after the second one," Davies said. "It was tough. But always a new day."
Counsell stressed that giving the day off to OF Ryan Braun had been planned well in advance and that Braun has held up well physically after undergoing back surgery last fall.
Milwaukee will use a designated hitter for the first time this season, playing games Monday and Tuesday in Minnesota before hosting the Twins the following two days. Counsell indicated the Brewers would keep an extra bullpen arm on the roster before adding an outfielder when they return to a National League park.
