The Milwaukee Brewers snapped the Pittsburgh Pirates eight-game winning streak in extra innings when Logan Schafer hit a go-ahead single which scored Nevin Ashley in the 13th inning of the Brewers 6-4 victory over the Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday night.
The Pirates have now lost their past seven contests against the Brewers.
A.J. Burnett made the start and allowed three first-inning runs in his return from injury.
Scooter Gennett led off the game with a double, his 14th of the season. He scored when Ryan Braun hit a soft ground ball, with the only play being at first base. Adam Lind then followed with a single and scored when Khris Davis hit his 19th home run of the season.
The Pirates first scored in the fifth when Neil Walker, who turned 30 on Thursday, hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly.
In the seventh inning, the Pirates knocked Wily Peralta out of the game and loaded the bases against Jeremy Jeffress. Jeffress flinched against pinch-hitter Travis Snider, walking in a run. He did, however, strike out Gregory Polanco on a dropped third strike. Polanco did not immediately realize that catcher Martin Maldonado had dropped the ball and got a late break to first. Maldonado threw him out at first, stranding three Pirates runners.
“I didn’t see the ball get away,” Polanco said. “When I saw it, I saw it late. It’s hard because you try to stay on the ball with your swing.”
“His head kind of came off on the swing, so I thought he lost track of the ball,” said manager Clint Hurdle. “When he realized where it was, it was a late start.”
Andrew McCutchen made a bit of history with his solo home run in the eighth inning off Corey Knebel. It was the 150th of his career and he joined Barry Bonds as the only two Pirates to amass 150 homers and 150 steals in their careers with the team.
The contest went to extra innings, where the Pirates threatened in the 11th inning.
Francisco Cervelli walked and pinch-hitter Chris Stewart singled, placing runners on first and third base against Cesar Jimenez. Shortstop Pedro Florimon, who had entered the game as a pinch runner, looked for his second straight walk-off hit. Jimenez threw a ball in the dirt that deflected off home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth’s foot, but Cervelli was unable to score from third base. Florimon then struck out to end the treat.
Braun struck again in the 12th inning with an RBI single off Radhames Liz while plated Logan Schafer.
With the Brewers in the lead, Francisco Rodriguez [1-3] came in for the save. A 2-1 changeup to Polanco was hit 416 feet over the Clemente Wall in right field for a home run, the right fielder’s eighth of the season.
An inning later, Schafer gave the Brewers the lead with a single and Luis Sardinas added a single of his own. Liz, [1-4] allowed both of those runs as well. The three earned runs was the most allowed in an MLB appearance for Liz since Apr. 20, 2009.
Kyle Lohse pitched the ninth inning and earned the save, his second of both his career and season.
It was the first extra inning loss for the Pirates since June 25.
The series continues Friday night when Charlie Morton [8-7 4.07 ERA] faces Jimmy Nelson [11-11 3.86 ERA]. Morton has a 3-7 record against the Brewers in 13 career starts.
Photo credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
