Pinch-hitter Gross carries Milwaukee to win over Pirates

It was another rough night for Prince Fielder, son of former major leaguer Cecil Fielder.
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Gabe Gross homered as a pinch-hitter in his first at-bat with Milwaukee and Chris Capuano pitched six solid innings, leading the Brewers past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5 Tuesday night.
With runners at second and third in the ninth inning, Pirates pinch-hitter Freddy Sanchez hit a liner up the middle that appeared headed for center field and a tying, two-run single. But closer Derrick Turnbow reacted quickly and caught it, then retired Nate McLouth on a popup to end the game.
Gross' two-run shot in the sixth inning landed on a catwalk in right-center, putting the Brewers ahead 5-2. J.J. Hardy added an RBI single later in the inning.
Pirates respond
The Pirates responded with a pinch-hit homer by Jeromy Burnitz, the key to a three-run seventh that brought Pittsburgh within one.
But Damian Miller singled home Rickie Weeks in the bottom half, and reliever Dan Kolb -- who returned to Milwaukee after struggling in Atlanta last year -- pitched a scoreless eighth. Turnbow worked the ninth for his second save in two days.
It was another rough night for Brewers prospect Prince Fielder, who struck out three times after going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the season opener Monday.
Fielder, the son of former major league slugger Cecil Fielder, managed to make contact in the fourth inning with a weak groundout to first.
It was the first career pinch-hit homer for Gross, acquired with right-hander Dave Bush and pitching prospect Zach Jackson in a trade for first baseman Lyle Overbay in December. Gross became the fifth player in Brewers history to hit a home run in his first plate appearance for the team.
Capuano, an 18-game winner last year, gave up two runs and struck out seven for the win.
Victor Santos, who was 15-25 over the past two seasons with Milwaukee, took the loss in his debut with the Pirates. Santos' wild pitch in the fifth allowed Brady Clark to score the go-ahead run, as the Brewers took a 3-2 lead.
Santos pitched 41/3 innings, giving up eight hits and three runs. He struck out four, walked two and threw two wild pitches.
Pirates sign Torres
Salomon Torres, one of the majors' most-used relievers the last three seasons, agreed Tuesday to a $6.5 million, two-year contract extension with the Pirates that includes a club option for 2009.
Torres gets a $400,000 signing bonus and salaries of $2.6 million in 2007 and $3.2 million in 2008. The Pirates have a $3.75 million option for 2009 that can be bought out for $300,000. Torres also can make $900,000 in bonuses.
He has a $1,425,000 base salary this year, the final season of a two-year contract.
The 34-year-old right-hander has revived his career after being out of organized baseball from 1998-2001, time he spent partly as a pitching coach for the Montreal Expos' prospects in the Dominican Republic. He broke into the majors with the Giants in 1993 and later pitched for the Mariners and Expos.
Torres was 5-5 with three saves and a 2.76 ERA while pitching 94 2-3 innings last season, the most of any reliever in the majors. He ranked second to the Angels' Scot Shields in innings pitched by a reliever in the 2004 and 2005 seasons and third in appearances during the 2003-05 seasons.
Torres took the loss in the Pirates' 5-2 opening defeat Monday after walking two batters in the seventh inning.
Notes
After hearing some grumbling that the fancy new electronic out-of-town scoreboard on the left-field wall at Miller Park is distracting to batters, Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said the brightness level might need to be adjusted.
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