MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun came to the plate three times Sunday afternoon with multiple Milwaukee Brewers on base and two outs.
Twice, in the third and the seventh innings, the Pirates sent Braun and the Brewers back to the dugout.
The Pirates defeated the Brewers, 5-4, at Miller Park to win the three-game series and their 13th of the past 16 games.
The Pirates taxed Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo and knocked him from the game after four innings. Gallardo struck out seven and walked two, but both the runners he walked scored. He allowed four runs on five hits.
Gallardo’s fastball hovered at 89 to 91 miles per hour, a drop from previous years where 93 to 94 miles per hour was common. He needed 94 pitches to complete four innings.
Gallardo walked Michael McKenry with two outs in the second. He hung a curveball to Jordy Mercer, who laced it to left-center field. Carlos Gomez let the ball roll all the way to the wall, then fumbled it as he picked it up. Mercer ended up on third with an RBI triple, and the Pirates led, 1-0.
Seven Pirates batters added three more runs in the third. Starling Marte led off with a double. Andrew McCutchen reached on a fielder’s choice to put men on first and third. Garrett Jones’ sacrifice fly scored Marte from third.
Gaby Sanchez walked on four pitches before Pedro Alvarez doubled down the right-field line, scoring two runs and giving the Pirates a 4-0 lead.
Gallardo threw 71 pitches in the first three innings, only 38 of them strikes. He needed another 23 to get through the fourth but struck out three Pirates looking. Neil Walker was particularly frustrated after a 3-2 pitch on the inside corner was called strike three, ending the inning with a man on second.
In the third, Gallardo singled. Norichika Aoki grounded to third, and Alvarez, trying to start a double play, threw the ball into right field. A force-out put runners on first and third for Braun, but Wandy Rodriguez struck out Braun swinging.
Braun got revenge in the fifth. Three singles loaded the bases with two outs. On the final single, an infield hit from Jean Segura, the runners were going on the 3-2 pitch. Walker broke toward second base initially, then had to reverse course to dive for the ball. His throw was late and Segura was safe.
Braun entered the game 17 for 44 with seven doubles and four home runs against Rodriguez in his career. Rodriguez then fell behind Braun, 2-0. Braun hit the third pitch for a three-run double down the left-field line, cutting the Pirates’ lead to 4-3.
Marte’s sacrifice fly in the sixth added some cushion, giving the Pirates a 5-3 lead.
Braun had another shot in the seventh, after singles from Martin Maldonado and Segura put runners on first and third with two outs. Segura took off for second on the first pitch from Vin Mazzaro, drawing Walker toward second base. Braun grounded up the middle and likely would have driven home a run, but the ball hit the mound. It slowed and bounced high, allowing Walker to snag it and throw Braun out at first.
Jeff Bianchi’s ground ball down the right-field line in the eighth off Mark Melancon took an odd hop off the wall and died, allowing Bianchi to reach third. He scored on Gomez’s sacrifice fly to cut the Pirates’ lead to one.
Rodriguez continued his streak of holding his opponent to three or fewer runs to five games. He allowed seven hits and struck out four without walking a batter. He has won each of his past four starts.
