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Harrison leads Pirates over Brewers

Aug 23, 2014 - 6:57 AM Milwaukee, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Josh Harrison had three hits and five RBI, two of them on a homer, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-3 on Friday to open a three-game series.

Andrew McCutchen added two hits, including his first homer since coming off the disabled list, and Neil Walker had an RBI triple in Pittsburgh's second win in a row on the heels of a season-high seven-game losing streak.

"I think he had five RBI all with two outs, those are game changers," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said on Harrison's performance.

Jeff Locke (5-3) picked up his third victory in four starts after allowing just two hits and two runs in six innings. Locke walked six and didn't strike out a batter.

Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer for the NL Central-leading Brewers, who have lost two in a row after a five-game winning streak. They were 10-3 against Pittsburgh this season entering the game.

Yovani Gallardo (8-7) took the loss after giving up six runs -- three earned -- on eight hits and three walks in five innings.

"Yovani didn't throw the ball well," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "We never really gave him a chance to get in a rhythm."

Braun drove his 16th homer of the season into the Milwaukee bullpen to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

But Jordy Mercer hit a sacrifice fly for Pittsburgh in the second inning and Harrison followed two batters later with a two-run double just out of Braun's reach and off the right-field wall to give Pittsburgh the lead for good.

The Pirates pushed their lead to 6-2 with a run in each of the next three innings.

In the third, McCutchen singled and scored on Walker's triple into the right- field corner. Harrison hit an RBI single in the fourth and McCutchen hit Gallardo's third pitch in the fifth inning over the wall in right center.

Harrison teed off on Brandon Kintzler's 3-2 sinker in the eighth for his 11th homer, which made it 8-2. The Brewers got one of those runs back when Rickie Weeks singled home Braun in the bottom of the eighth.

Game Notes

Starling Marte had two hits and three runs scored for Pittsburgh, which went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position ... The Brewers went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.