Another Rally Falls Short; Bucs Go Down 4-3

It was a 1-2-3 opener for Steven Brault; ditto for Chase Anderson. Lorenzo Cain hurt himself after lining out to Starling and left the game with an achy knee. The second also was quiet for both nines. Steven tossed a clean third and then got the game's first hit with two outs in the Bucco half. There was no noise from the Brew Crew in the fourth, nor a peep out of the Pirates. Ryan Braun worked a walk to open the fifth after falling behind 0-2 and yep, he was doubled home. That was followed by a dribbled infield single. Brault then served up a DP ball but at the cost of a second run. Redbeard banged a leadoff single. An out later, Pablo's grounder to third was mishandled (it was ruled a single). No diff; a K and comebacker closed it out.

Steven looked good on his return; that's a boost - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

In the sixth, Milwaukee got a one-out rap off Gonzalez's mitt and Ric Rod was called in. He fanned a pair; no rust on either pitcher, it appears. B-Rey went yard with an out, and Starling followed with a rap. He streaked home after Joey O's two-bagger to tie the game. Eli walked with two gone, bringing in Junior Guerra, who got Pablo to fly to center. Frankie got the wave in the seventh and was greeted with a single/double combo. A strikeout was followed by a walk to jam the sacks, and a sac fly regained the lead for the Brewers. Jake Faria toed the slab and Erik Gonzalez singled to open the frame. Melky lined the next pitch to third; Gonzalez was doubled up and Fraze K'ed. Chris Stratton worked the eighth, giving up a knock but with two whiffs to post a zippo. After Starling lined out to the track for the second out, Joey O doubled but Redbeard couldn't cash him in.

Kyle Crick climbed the hill in the ninth and walked Yasmani Grandal after putting him in an 0-2 hole. After a strikeout, a two-bagger put Brewers at second and third. A roller to second was turned into an out at home on the contact play. The Bucs almost got out of it, catching Brewer Trent Grisham in a rundown between third and home, but Diaz stood in the baseline and made the runner go around him for interference and an insurance run. Travis Shaw was bopped on a 1-2 pitch before a grounder ended it. Matt Albers dusted the rosin and gave up a single to Eli. A wild pitch moved him up and Pablo doubled him home; thankfully, the throw was offline. A Gonzalez bunt moved him along. Melky's grounder froze him and K-Man hit a soft liner to Albers to seal the deal.

Joey O had two more hits tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Disappointing that so many fundamentals cost them - not finishing off a guy on an 0-2 count, botching a rundown, a play drilled from Little League on, not getting the ball in the air with a runner on third...Clint's teams play hard, but not very smartly. We also wonder whassup with Felipe; he's worked two innings since July 25th.

Notes:

• Joey O and Pablo each had two hits; the Pirates spread their 10 knocks around tonight w/1-for-8 RISP, so they had their chances.
• With this defeat, the Pirates have guaranteed losing their eighth straight series.
• The announced crowd was 13,965.
• Steven Brault has a seven-game hitting streak. It's the longest for a Bucco pitcher since Rick Rhoden in 1984.
• Francisco Liriano has allowed runs in his last five outings.
• The Pirates put Brault (IL) and Ric Rod (paternity leave) back on the 25-man roster today. Pitchers Yefry Ramirez and Dario Agrazal were optioned back to Indy.