Broo-Mance Bucs Sweep Brew Crew 4-2

Jamo gave up a leadoff two-bagger but as usual worked around the damage. Jimmy Nelson tossed a clean frame. The Brew Crew got a two-out rap in the second to go with three fan jobs; JT's hook is off to a good start. Fraze collected the Bucs' first knock with two gone and stole second after a successful Clint challenge (Adam used yhe ol' watusi move to duck the tag). Mad Max walked and the action paid off with a run after Stew lobbed a slider into right. Jamo whiffed another pair in the third before a single and fly closed it out while Pittsburgh was quiet in their half. The Brew Crew came back in the fourth thx to some small ball - a leadoff walk and infield single (Max doesn't have Jordy's glove) scored after a Brett Phillips double and another grounder. Nelson struck out three Bucco batters but Gregory apparently didn't get his memo and lined one 420' over the CF wall in between to tie the game.

Jamo - eight K but a lot of pitches today (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

After a 1-2-3 Brew Crew fifth, the Bucs went back to work. Stew singled, was bunted up and scored on J-Hay's two-out knock, with Josh going to second on the throw home. That was big as Cutch followed with a dying quail to right to put the Pirates up 4-2. The Brewers were game, and a one-out double chased Jamo after 116 pitches (he K'ed eight and walked two, keeping the pitch calculator spinning). Wade LeBlanc issued a two-out walk but put another zippo on the board in the sixth. Oliver Drake stepped on the rubber and twirled a quiet inning.
Huddy took the hill in the seventh and gave up a leadoff knock. That was erased on a caught stealing, upheld by review, and made a later walk a non-starter. Michael Blazek gripped the horsehide and had a calm frame thx largely to a Bucco GIDP.

Juan Nicasio was on the slope for the eighth. He gave up knocks sandwiched around an out, but a Brewer DP (turned by the pups: Frazier-to-Moroff-to-Bell) doused that threat. J-Bell singled but the Pirates couldn't add to the pad. No need; Felipe Rivero faced three batters, got three grounders and notched the save.

Stew! (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Well, break out the brooms. And hey, your Pirates are .500. The Bucs and Cubbies are en fuego right now; the Pirates are two games behind Chi-town and three down in the loss column. (They're three games behind the Brew Crew, but just two back in the loss column). Obviously, they're not gonna play .850 ball through the remaining months, but they sure have made it interesting again.

Notes:

• The only Buc to reach base safely more than once today was Stew, who went 3-for-3, scored, drove in a run and threw out a runner.
• Jamo's 116 pitches today is his personal high with the Pirates.
• Pittsburgh's won five straight, their longest streak of the year. The gang is on an 11-2 roll.
• For those looking at the wild-card, the Pirates are 7-1/2 games out of the second spot, which belongs to their next opponent, the Colorado Rockies. The Cubs and the Bucs are third & fourth in that race.
• 33,493 attended today's game.