Brewers beat Bucs — again

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pinch-hitter Jody Gerut doubled to score the go-ahead run and the Milwaukee Brewers rallied off Kevin Hart’s wildness for their 20th straight win over the Pirates in Miller Park, beating Pittsburgh 7-3 on Saturday night

Andy LaRoche homered for the Pirates, but they couldn’t avoid the longest streak by one team over another at home since the Indians beat the Orioles franchise 27 consecutive times at Cleveland Municipal Stadium from 1952-54.

In this one, Hart (4-4) was wild at costly moments and his defense let him down to keep Pittsburgh winless in Milwaukee since May 3, 2007. The Pirates get a final chance Sunday to snap the skid before next season.

Hart got the first two outs in the sixth with the game tied at 3, but Jason Kendall singled and stole second when Hart spiked a ball in the dirt.

Alcides Escobar followed with a single and Gerut, who was hitless in 17 at-bats against the Pirates this season, doubled to score Kendall. Hart then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Escobar to score to make it 5-3.

Ryan Braun’s sacrifice fly off Phil Dumatrait in the seventh gave Milwaukee a 6-3 lead and Escobar’s RBI single in the eighth capped scoring.

Reliever Claudio Vargas (1-0) earned the win and the Brewers’ bullpen upped their scoreless innings streak in this series to seven after starter Yovani Gallardo labored through five frames, striking out seven but allowing three runs off five hits and three walks.

LaRoche, who’d been in a 3 for 29 slump, hit a two-run shot to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead in the fifth after Delwyn Young’s run-scoring double.

But Young helped give the lead back in the bottom half of the inning after the second baseman’s errant throw let Felipe Lopez reach. Craig Counsell singled to move Lopez to third and Lopez scored on Braun’s double-play grounder.

Hart’s wildness and a slip by Pirates shortstop Brian Bixler also cost the Pirates two runs in the third.

With runners on the corners and one out, Bixler slipped on what could’ve been an inning-ending double play on a hard-hit ball by Lopez. First baseman Steve Pearce threw to Bixler covering second, but he fell crossing the base and the return throw from his knees was late, allowing Kendall to score.

Counsell followed with a single, Hart hit Braun to load the bases and walked Prince Fielder to bring in another run.