PITTSBURGH -- The North Side was pumped for the party of the year. Throngs rocked the streets around PNC Park early Friday evening, before going through the gates to cheer the Pirates closer to October nirvana.Yovani Gallardo would not let them, but he could only delay the shindig, until Russell Martin could knock a three-run homer in the eighth inning off Jonathan Broxton to stun the Brewers, 4-2, in front of 37,974 revelers.With their fifth straight win, the Bucs reduced their magic number for clinching a postseason berth as at least the National League's No. 2 Wild Card to 5. Their lead over Milwaukee grew to 4 1/2 games. 
The Bucs rally kept Francisco Rodriguez locked up in the Brewers' bullpen, while John Holdzkom, the Pirates reliever trying to follow in the 2002 late-season footsteps of K-Rod, earned his first Major League win after picking up for sharp starter Jeff Locke with a scoreless eighth.The five-game winning streak is new ground for the Bucs, who had previously been 0-6 in opportunities to go beyond four, but the comeback was familiar. It was their 40th.Even while they could not do anything with Gallardo, who blanked them on five hits through seven, the Pirates were doing plenty. They spoiled enough pitches -- fouling off 24 in his seven innings -- to ensure he would not see the eighth.That was doubly good for the Bucs, because it meant they would see Broxton, the Brewers' setup reliever against whom they have had great success.It did not change. Starling Marte hit a leadoff grounder wide of first and beat Broxton to the bag for an infield single. With one away, Neil Walker singled. Martin then launched his 11th homer, and the party machine was plugged in.Since the start of the 2013 season, Broxton has worked 9 2/3 innings against the Pirates and given up 15 runs and 18 hits, including five home runsEveryone anticipated a postseason-like atmosphere, with a blend of cooling weather, the fans' fervor, the stakes. And the game itself filled the bill; taut, every pitch meaningful.The Brewers came to town in a helpless situation. Trailing by 3 1/2 games, they have to accept still being behind when they leave. But Ron Roenicke's men came to play.None were more intent than Gallardo, who recovered from a beginning -- 74 pitches through four innings -- to work deep into the game. On his penultimate 111th pitch, he notched his 11th strikeout, then needed only one more to end the seventh.Gallardo's only two higher pitch counts of the season, clearly not coincidentally, had also come in PNC Park. He made 121 in seven innings of a 1-0 triumph -- over Locke -- on June 8, and 114 on April 17.Locke wouldn't let Gallardo relax. Both went seven innings, and allowed five hits. However, Locke's yield included Jonathan Lucroy's RBI single in the first and Rickie Weeks' long solo homer in the fifth.This was the second time this season Locke faced the Brewers here. He still doesn't have any runs. Of course, he drew Gallardo as his mound opponent both times.Tom Singer / MLB.com
The Bucs rally kept Francisco Rodriguez locked up in the Brewers' bullpen, while John Holdzkom, the Pirates reliever trying to follow in the 2002 late-season footsteps of K-Rod, earned his first Major League win after picking up for sharp starter Jeff Locke with a scoreless eighth.The five-game winning streak is new ground for the Bucs, who had previously been 0-6 in opportunities to go beyond four, but the comeback was familiar. It was their 40th.Even while they could not do anything with Gallardo, who blanked them on five hits through seven, the Pirates were doing plenty. They spoiled enough pitches -- fouling off 24 in his seven innings -- to ensure he would not see the eighth.That was doubly good for the Bucs, because it meant they would see Broxton, the Brewers' setup reliever against whom they have had great success.It did not change. Starling Marte hit a leadoff grounder wide of first and beat Broxton to the bag for an infield single. With one away, Neil Walker singled. Martin then launched his 11th homer, and the party machine was plugged in.Since the start of the 2013 season, Broxton has worked 9 2/3 innings against the Pirates and given up 15 runs and 18 hits, including five home runsEveryone anticipated a postseason-like atmosphere, with a blend of cooling weather, the fans' fervor, the stakes. And the game itself filled the bill; taut, every pitch meaningful.The Brewers came to town in a helpless situation. Trailing by 3 1/2 games, they have to accept still being behind when they leave. But Ron Roenicke's men came to play.None were more intent than Gallardo, who recovered from a beginning -- 74 pitches through four innings -- to work deep into the game. On his penultimate 111th pitch, he notched his 11th strikeout, then needed only one more to end the seventh.Gallardo's only two higher pitch counts of the season, clearly not coincidentally, had also come in PNC Park. He made 121 in seven innings of a 1-0 triumph -- over Locke -- on June 8, and 114 on April 17.Locke wouldn't let Gallardo relax. Both went seven innings, and allowed five hits. However, Locke's yield included Jonathan Lucroy's RBI single in the first and Rickie Weeks' long solo homer in the fifth.This was the second time this season Locke faced the Brewers here. He still doesn't have any runs. Of course, he drew Gallardo as his mound opponent both times.Tom Singer / MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
