Going, Going, Gone...Brew Crew Homers Break Bucs 7-6

The Bucs used the old small ball, two-out lightning attack to spot Gerrit Cole a four runs lead. J-Bell put the Pirates up in the first with a two-out sin­gle to score Starling Marte. Marte’s two-out rap in the third started a merry-go-round. J-Hay walked, then Cutch, Bell and Freeser followed with con­sec­u­tive run-scoring knocks to give the Pirates a 4-0 lead over Jimmy Nelson. Cole pretty much gave it right back when Keon Broxton went long, followed by a walk and Neil Walker's first Milwaukee dinger. It stayed that way until the sixth when Travis Shaw's long ball brought the Brewers all the way back.

Long ball does in Cole Train (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Pittsburgh quickly retook the lead in the seventh when J-Hay singled home JJ with two outs, Jaso sliding in just ahead of the throw (and surviving a challenge) after an aggressive wave by Joey Cora. Broxton knotted it back up with another see ya ball off George Kontos. Anthony Swarzak gave up a leadoff triple to J-Bell in the eighth and Fraze's rap brought him home (with one out; he ad-libbed). That lead became a deficit when Juan Nicasio gave up a knock and two-run bingo to Manny Pina; Clint brought in Felipe Rivero to get the final out. Corey Knebel turned out lights in the ninth and maybe on the Pirates season as well.

Notes:

• J-Bell had three hits while Starlin and Stew had a pair apiece. J-Hay had a knock and a walk. 
• The Pirates struck out 15 Brewers today: Cole (9), Kontos (3), Nicasio (2) and Rivero (1). They were K'ed 11 times by the Milwaukee hurlers.
• Gerrit has given up 26 homers in 25 starts, the ninth most in baseball.