This one could’ve been ugly early. Instead it was ugly late. Milwaukee scored twice in the first and then not again until the later innings. Trailing by two runs, Milwaukee scored one run in the 8th, 9th and 10th innings to win it. Ugh.
Pirates starter Paul Maholm walked Rickie Weeks leading off the game. Corey Hart followed up with a homer making it 2-0 before Maholm had retired a batter. He settled in after that, allowing just two singles and one more walk over seven innings (he did hit three people).
The Pirates began wearing away at the lead given to Doug Davis. In the third Ronny Cedeno doubled and scored on a single from Andrew McCutchen. The Pirates loaded the bases with one out after Jose Tabata singled and Neil Walker drew a BB. But Davis got Garrett Jones to pop out and retired Pedro Alvarez on a grounder.
Lastings Milledge hit a solo homer in the fourth inning to tie the score. The Pirates pushed ahead in the fifth. McCutchen led off with a solo homer. Tabata reached on an infield single and scored on a two out double from Alvarez.
Maholm gave way to Joel Hanrahan in the 8th. He gave up a solo homer to Prince Fielder to pull Milwaukee to within a run. Carlos Gomez reached on a bunt single in the 9th and scored on a triple from George Kottaras past a drawn in infield. Milwaukee tried to win it in regulation with Kottaras going for home when a pitch from Octavio Dotel bounced away from Ryan Doumit, but he was thrown out.
The Pirates had a chance against John Axford in the 10th. Walker singled and moved to third with one out courtesy of a grounder and a wild pitch. But Axford whiffed Alvarez and Doumit with no damage done.
Milwaukee didn’t wait long to make it happen against Evan Meek. Jim Edmonds pinch hit and singled leading off. Weeks reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. After Hart whiffed, Fielder was walked intentiontally. That sent up Ryan Braun who singled Weeks in to end the game.
Meek was the loser. Axford picked up the win. Davis gave up four runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked three.
The Good
Bucs collected 10 hits.
Maholm was effective in seven innings.
The Bad
Jones (four), Alvarez (five) and Doumit (4) left a lot of men on base over the course of the game.
The Pirates managed just five hits over the final five innings.
The bullpen. Normally decent. Tonight not so much.
The Rest
Davis is 8-6 in his career against Pittsburgh in 23 starts. Maholm is 3-6 against the Beer Men in 17 career starts.
The Pirates collected their third 10 hit game in July. They only had five such events in June.
Braun was hitless in his last 19 at bats before a sixth inning single. It was the longest hitless stretch of his career.
McCutchen had not homered in over a month (June 5th).
Hanrahan had made 11 straight appearances covering 11 innings without allowing a run until the 8th inning. Six of the 16 earned runs he has allowed this year came against Milwaukee in the 20-0 debacle in April.
