Pirates 4, Brewers 3: Bullpen blows it...twice

Win: Vin Mazzaro (7-2)
Loss: Jim Henderson (3-5)
Save: Mark Melancon (11)

HR: Andrew McCutchen (18), Travis Snider (4)

MVP: Jean Segura (.267 WPA)
LVP: Jim Henderson (-.279 WPA)

Fangraphs Win Expectancy Graph
Boxscore

Yovani Gallardo pitched well for seven innings, but the Brewers bullpen gave up a run in back-to-back innings and ultimately led to the Brewers demise Tuesday night.

With two outs in the top of the first inning, Andrew McCutchen hit his 100th career home run and gave the Pirates a one-run lead before the Brewers came up to bat for the first time.

In their first at-bat, the Brewers were quickly able to take the lead from the Pirates.  Jean Segura followed a walk from Norichika Aoki to give the Brewers two runners in scoring position for Jonathan Lucroy with no outs.  Lucroy delivered with a single to right field to score Aoki and Segura to give the Brewers a one-run lead at the end of the first inning.

After getting the first two outs of the third inning, Yovani Gallardo got himself into a bit of trouble.  McCutchen started things off with another two-out hit to keep the inning alive.  After a Justin Morneau single, Marlon Byrd connected on the Pirates' third consecutive single to score McCutchen from third and tie the game.

Besides the trouble with two outs in the first and third inning, Gallardo was able to stay out of trouble for the most part Tuesday night.  In seven innings, Gallardo only gave up two runs while working around five hits and two walks.  Gallardo struck out six batters and was able to get through at least six innings for the fourth consecutive time since returning from the disabled list.

Though Gallardo did enough to get the win tonight, the Brewers bullpen was unable to keep the Brewers in the game once again.  The Brewers turned to Brandon Kintzler in the eighth inning and, for the third time Tuesday night, McCutchen and the Pirates' newest acquisitions touched up Brewers pitching.  After a McCutchen walk, Morneau singled to bring Byrd to the plate and he delivered again with a double down the left field line to score McCutchen and give the Pirates a 3-2 lead.

The Brewers were saved from a bullpen disaster when the Brewers put together a few hits to tie the game going into the ninth.  Caleb Gindl walked to start the inning and Aoki moved him over to second on a ground out to Morneau.  With Gindl on second, Segura punched a ground ball up the middle and Gindl scored from third.

The Brewers bullpen just didn't want to be saved though.  In a tie game, the Brewers turned to Jim Henderson in the ninth inning and he promptly gave up a home run to the first batter he faced in the inning, Travis Snider.  Snider's home run gave the Pirates a one-run lead and all they would need as Mark Melancon shut down the Brewers in the ninth.

The Pirates will go for the sweep Wednesday night in Miller Park before the Brewers travel down I-94 to take on the Cubs on Friday.  Francisco Liriano will take the mound for the Pirates against the Brewers and Wily Peralta.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.