Bucs solve closer Hoffman again

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE

Trevor Hoffman ran into another problem, and once again it was named Ryan Doumit.

Doumit homered off the all-time saves leader for the second straight day and Garrett Jones’ two-out, run-scoring double in the 14th rallied the Pirates past the Brewers 6-5 on Wednesday.

“It’s easy to kind of say you’re snake bit, or whatever,” the 42-year-old Hoffman said. “Bottom line is I didn’t get it done again.”

Hoffman has blown four of seven opportunities this year — he failed only four times all of last season. His 13.00 ERA is equally startling for someone with 594 career saves.

Doumit hit the first grand slam Hoffman had ever allowed in the Pirates’ 7-3 win on Tuesday off a fastball. This time, Hoffman only threw changeups to Doumit, who connected on the fourth one by flicking it just over the right-field wall.

“I saw in the paper that that’s what he wanted to work on,” Doumit said. “The pitch that I hit actually fooled me a little bit. I didn’t really put the best of swings on it but fortunately I got enough of it.”

Both teams scored in the 10th when Andrew McCutchen hit the second of his two homers in the top of the inning and Casey McGehee’s one-out, run-scoring single tied it off Pirates closer Octavio Dotel, setting up the 14th.

After losing 22 straight at Miller Park, Pittsburgh finally won a series in Milwaukee for the first time in nearly four years. The victories Tuesday and Wednesday came after embarrassing losses to the Brewers by 20-0 and 17-3 in the past week.

“I think we earned a little bit of respect, possibly, in the Brewers’ eyes. The last however many games we’ve played against these guys, we’ve been a doormat and we know that,” Doumit said.