The Sports Xchange
Jul 19, 2017
PITTSBURGH -- Max Moroff hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 3-2 win against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on Wednesday.
Josh Harrison hit a ground-rule double to center before the Brewers intentionally walked Andrew McCutchen. Harrison advanced to third on a fly out by John Jaso. Moroff then dropped in a single for his first career walk-off hit.
The Pirates (47-48) extended their winning streak to four games and pulled within four games of the National League Central-leading Brewers (52-45). Milwaukee has lost four straight.
The win came after the Pirates got the tying run in the ninth to force extras. After Pirates third baseman David Freese walked with one out, Gregory Polanco singled to right to move Moroff, who pinch-ran for Freese, to third. Francisco Cervelli followed with another single to right, scoring Moroff and tying it 2-2.
The Brewers seemed to have the game won after Domingo Santana gave them a 2-1 lead with an eighth-inning home run over the right field wall. Santana went 3-for-5 with two runs.
Following the first inning, which saw the Brewers take a 1-0 lead and the Pirates answer to tie it, each team struggled to maintain any consistency.
That could be attributed to the starting pitchers, particularly to Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole, who had 10 strikeouts in seven innings. His strikeout total was the most from a Pittsburgh pitcher this season.
Cole allowed one run on six hits and no walks.
Brewers right-hander Zach Davies was equally effective. He allowed one unearned run on eight hits in seven innings. Davies walked one and fanned four.
Santana led off the game with a double down the left field line before a throwing error from Cervelli moved him to third. Jesus Aguilar drove in Santana with a single off Harrison's glove.
Starling Marte and Harrison began the bottom of the first with consecutive singles. They both advanced on an error from shortstop Orlando Arcia. McCutchen scored Marte with a sacrifice fly to center field.
NOTES: Pirates 1B Josh Bell did not start after colliding with Brewers LF Eric Thames on Tuesday. Jose Osuna took over at first base. Bell struck out as a pinch hitter. ... LF Starling Marte started a second consecutive game after rejoining the Pirates on Tuesday. He went 1-for-5, making him 2-for-8 since serving an 80-game suspension for violating MLB's performance-enhancing drugs policy. ... Thames moved from first base to left field Wednesday in place of Ryan Braun, who went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts Tuesday. ... Jesus Aguilar entered the lineup and replaced Thames at first base for the Brewers. He hit third, between Thames and 3B Travis Shaw, and went 2-for-4.