Ransom grand; Bucs collapse

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE

Cody Ransom expected Pittsburgh to intentionally walk Rickie Weeks to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning of a tie game on Friday night.

The Milwaukee shortstop did not expect left-handed pitcher Tony Watson to remain on the mound, however.

But Watson did, and Ransom made him pay by hitting his first career grand slam to lift the Brewers to a 10-7 victory over the Pirates.

“I was surprised they left the lefty in,” said Ransom, a right-handed hitter who was 0 for 4 before delivering the team’s fourth grand slam of the season. “There was a righty in the bullpen and I figured they’d probably bring him in.

“Am I surprised about [the intentional walk]? No, I hadn’t done anything today.”

Ryan Braun hit two home runs as Milwaukee improved to 40-6 against Pittsburgh at Miller Park since 2007. Martin Maldonado finished with a career-high four hits, all singles, to hand Pittsburgh only its third loss in the last 13 games.

Watson (4-1) entered in the eighth and gave up consecutive singles to Braun and Aramis Ramirez. He struck out Corey Hart, but each runner stole a base on the pitch. The Pirates then intentionally walked Weeks, who had already driven in two runs with a double in the first inning.

“Obviously, we wanted that guy up there,” Watson said. “We intentionally walked the guy in front of him to load the bases. We wanted to go right at him, go ahead in the count. With two outs, I was hoping to put something in play and let the defense work.”

Ransom, however, hit a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left-center for his eighth homer of the season.

After the game, members of the media waited to interview Ransom outside his locker while he had to take a drug test.

“That’s a Major League Baseball thing,” he said. “They tell you when they tell you.”

Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen hit a solo homer off John Axford in the ninth.