Pirates 10, Brewers 2
PITTSBURGH - Jeff Locke pitched into the seventh inning for just the second time in 10 starts, Josh Harrison had four hits and Michael Morse hit a pinch-hit grand slam as the Pittsburgh Pirates rolled to a 10-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night.
Locke (8-10) worked 6 1/3 innings and allowed only one run and three hits as the Pirates (85-56) won for the sixth time in nine games and drew within two games of the first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central.
It is the closest the Pirates have been to St. Louis since they were also two back at the All-Star break after winning three games in a row from the Cardinals at Pittsburgh.
Locke struck out seven and walked two after losing consecutive starts and four of his last five decisions. The left-hander lowered his home ERA to 3.46 in 88 1/3 innings, compared to 5.89 on the road in 68 innings. Pirates starters have a 1.64 ERA in the last nine games.
Morse's slam came off left-hander reliever Cesar Jimenez in the seventh inning and extended the Pirates' lead to 10-1. It was Morse's first home run since the Pirates acquired him July 31 from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade and the fifth slam of his 11-year career.
Harrison tied a career high for hits as he went 4-for-4 with a walk while filling in for left fielder Starling Marte, who was sidelined by a stomach ailment. It was the ninth four-hit game of Harrison's five-year career.
Third baseman Aramis Ramirez, acquired from the Brewers on July 23 in a trade, hit a pair of run-scoring doubles, including one during a five-run third inning, off rookie right-hander Zach Davies (1-1) to stake the Pirates to a 6-0 lead by the fourth inning.
Davies was knocked out in the fourth after Ramirez's second double as the Brewers (62-80) assured themselves of a third straight season with at least 80 losses with their fifth defeat in seven games.
Davies, making his third major league start, gave up six runs and six hits with five walks and three strikeouts, taking his first career loss after notching his first win Monday over the Marlins at Miami.
The Brewers' runs scored on second baseman Luis Sardinas' sacrifice fly in the seventh and Ryan Braun's run-scoring double in the eighth.
The Pirates batted around in five-run third inning to break a scoreless tie.
Center fielder Andrew McCutchen singled in the first run and third baseman Aramis Ramirez followed with an RBI double. Catcher Francisco Cervelli had an RBI single and another run scored on center fielder Domingo Santana's fielding error and shortstop Jordy Mercer brought home the final run on a fielder's choice grounder.
Ramirez hit another RBI double in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 6-0 and chase Davies.
NOTES: Pirates LF Starling Marte was scratched from the lineup because of gastroenteritis. He did not start Friday night because of left shoulder discomfort after being hit by a pitch Thursday night by Milwaukee RHP Wily Peralta. ... Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy (concussion) missed his fourth straight game, though he was able to take dry swings. Lucroy was examined by noted concussion authority Mickey Collins on Saturday at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, but there is no timetable for his return. ... The four-game series concludes Sunday, with Milwaukee rookie RHP Taylor Jungmann (9-6, 2.87 ERA) facing Pittsburgh LHP Francisco Liriano (10-7, 3.28).