Hart’s walkoff HR extends Bucs’ skid

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE

Corey Hart’s game-winning home run capped a rocky first half of the season for the Brewers’ All-Star outfielder, one that started ugly and ended sensationally.

Hart hit a two-run shot in the ninth inning to give Milwaukee a dramatic 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. It was Hart’s 21st of the season and second game winner.

Hart’s season did not start well. He beat the Brewers in salary arbitration, then was tabbed as a platoon player sharing time in right field with the newly acquired Jim Edmonds. The team even left Hart’s name off the All-Star ballot.

Injuries eventually gave him a chance to play every day, and a move to second in the batting order helped erase some of the bitterness. Now, he’s headed to the All-Star game as a starter in the outfield, taking the place of Atlanta’s Jason Heyward, who is out with an injury.

“I was trying not to get released the first month of the year,” Hart said. “It’s a pretty good feeling to be able to come back like this.”

Hart had struck out twice, flied out and hit into a double play Sunday before his heroics in the ninth inning.

The Brewers trailed 5-4 when Edmonds led off with a ground-rule double. Rickie Weeks flied out before Hart belted a 2-0 pitch from Octavio Dotel (2-2) over the wall in left for his second game-ending home run of the season.

Dotel had his streak of seven straight saves snapped Friday night when he allowed one run in the ninth as the Brewers took the first game of the series.