MILWAUKEE — Even though Rickie Weeks’ batting average is hovering around .200, Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle thought it was best to intentionally walk him to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning of a tie game on Friday night.

After all, Cody Ransom, the next batter, was 0 for 4 in the game.

But he hit his first career grand slam off reliever Tony Watson to lift Milwaukee to a 10-7 victory over the Pirates.

“I don’t know if there’s ever a no-brainer in this game,” Hurdle said. “(Weeks) has been swinging the bat better. He’s not a good matchup (for us). Historically, he’s been real good against left-handed pitching. Tip your hat to Ransom. Swinging a bat in the big leagues is always a dangerous bet.”

Ryan Braun hit two home runs as Milwaukee improved to 40-6 against Pittsburgh at Miller Park since 2007. Martin Maldonado finished with a career-high four hits, all singles, to hand Pittsburgh only its third loss in the last 13 games.

Watson (4-1) entered in the eighth and gave up consecutive singles to Braun and Aramis Ramirez. He struck out Corey Hart, but each runner stole a base on the pitch. The Pirates then elected to load the bases by intentionally walking Weeks, who had driven in two runs with a double in the first inning.

“Obviously, we wanted that guy up there,” Watson said. “We intentionally walked the guy in front of him to load the bases. We wanted to go right at him, go ahead in the count. With two outs, I was hoping to put something in play and let the defense work.”

Ransom, however, hit a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left-center for his eighth homer of the season.

Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke wasn’t worried in the least.

“I always have that feeling when we have people on base,” he said. “It’s a lot better to think good things than the other way around. To tell you the truth, I didn’t know what he was 0 for.”

After the game, members of the media waited to interview Ransom outside his locker while he had to take a drug test.

“That’s a Major League Baseball thing,” he said. “They tell you when they tell you.”

Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen hit a solo homer off John Axford in the ninth.