MILWAUKEE — Yovani Gallardo was way more fired up about escaping a big jam than he was about his second career homer.

The rookie right-hander pitched seven sharp innings and went deep in the fourth inning, helping the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 Friday night to inch closer in the NL Central race.

"He got into trouble in the seventh and got out of it," Brewers outfielder Gabe Gross said. "And he hits the homer, pretty much the game winner. We're probably still playing right now if he doesn't hit that homer. He's kind of an all-around hero."

Gallardo (6-4) allowed five hits and two runs for Milwaukee, which pulled within 1½ games of division-leading Chicago. After taking two of three games from the Brewers earlier this week, the Cubs lost to Houston 6-1 Friday.

Derrick Turnbow pitched a scoreless eighth, and Francisco Cordero got three outs to earn his 38th save in 44 chances and complete the six-hitter.

Gallardo cruised through the first six innings, allowing his only run on a solo homer by Adam LaRoche in the fourth.

He then allowed back-to-back singles to LaRoche and Xavier Nady to lead off the seventh, and the Brewers couldn't turn a double play off a grounder to third by Jason Bay to put runners on first and third with one out. Ronny Paulino doubled in LaRoche to cut the Brewers' lead to 3-2.

Gallardo issued an intentional walk to Jack Wilson to load the bases, then got Josh Phelps — who came into the game 6-for-12 with two homers as a pinch hitter in August — to strike out looking. Then he struck out Nate McLouth on a 94-mph fastball to end the inning.

Pirates manager Jim Tracy said Gallardo saved his best for last.

"He found a little bit different gear, because those might have been some of the best pitches that he threw during the course of the seven innings that he was out there," Tracy said.