Brewers topple Pirates
PITTSBURGH — The Milwaukee Brewers finally found a way to win in Pittsburgh.
The Brewers, who had lost five in a row at PNC Park and were 15-35 there since the stadium opened six years ago, rallied to beat the Pirates 6-3 Tuesday.
Doug Davis pitched seven effective innings, Corey Hart homered and Tony Graffanino hit a two-run double for the Brewers, who won for only the second time in their last nine tries against Pittsburgh.
Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh, which had its four-game winning streak snapped. It was the Pirates' first home run with a runner on base in three weeks. Pittsburgh had hit 14 consecutive solo shots since Burnitz's three-run drive July 25 in Milwaukee.
"We did everything we could tonight — they just beat us," said Pirates manager Jim Tracy, whose team loaded the bases with one out in the ninth before Francisco Cordero got Jeromy Burnitz to ground into a game-ending double play.
After Bautista's shot in the seventh gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead, Graffanino doubled and Prince Fielder singled off Damaso Marte (0-6) to start the eighth, putting runners at the corners.
Kevin Mench's weak groundout against Salomon Torres drove in Graffanino, and Bill Hall's single scored Fielder for a 4-3 lead.
"I told the guys I tried to hit it as far as I could," Mench said with a smile. "It was probably the shortest-hit ball I've had since I got here, but it got the job done. Put the ball in play and you can score a run."
Graffanino added a two-run double in the ninth before Cordero's save, his seventh in nine opportunities since being acquired from Texas on July 28.
"Knowing the arms we've got in the bullpen," Bautista said, "I thought we pretty much had it in the fridge — but it was just one of those nights."
Pittsburgh's Tom Gorzelanny left with the lead after his fourth consecutive solid start but did not factor in the decision. He allowed only two runs — one earned — and six hits in seven innings. He has pitched at least six innings while giving up two runs or fewer in each of his starts since July 23.
