Pirates play at Miller Park, Pirates lose at Miller Park

Things took a somewhat positive departure from the events of the previous two nights as the Pirates' starting pitcher, Francisco Liriano, did not immediately get bashed to hell. Liriano wasn't great though, and he cracked before the Bucs could get to Milwaukee starter Taylor Jungmann, and they lost, 5-3. The Pirates never held a lead during the three-game sweep.

The Pirates got guys on base against Jungmann, but couldn't get them in, most notably in the second when they loaded the bases on a Francisco Cervelli hit-by-pitch, Pedro Alvarez single and Jordy Mercer walk. Liriano struck out for the second out, then Gregory Polanco hit a hard liner at left fielder Khris Davis to end the inning.

Milwaukee broke through against a struggling Liriano with single runs in the fourth and fifth, and two in the sixth. The Pirates tied it at 1 briefly when Jordy Mercer doubled and scored on Josh Harrison's groundout in the fifth. The Brewers pulled right back ahead on Davis' double in the bottom of the inning, then added a couple more on a Hernan Perez triple and an Elian Herrera home-run-turned-double after review.

Liriano lasted five innings, issuing five walks and striking out four, allowing four runs on seven hits.

Lefty Will Smith relieved Jungmann to start the seventh and a few Pirates righties took advantage to pull within 4-3. Michael Morse led off with a pinch-hit triple past a confused Ryan Braun, Mercer doubled and Jung-Ho Kang got a pinch-hit single. Smith recovered to get two outs, then Starling Marte singled. Tyler Thornburg replaced Smith and struck out Aramis Ramirez.

Radhames Liz pitched a clean seventh, getting two strikeouts, but he went out for the eighth and gave up a leadoff homer to Domingo Santana.

Jeremy Jeffress and Francisco Rodriguez shut things down for the Brewers.

The main takeaway from another stomping at Miller Park is that the Pirates seem destined to have this (usually) good season come down to a one-game coinflip, which we've all pretty much expected anyway. The Cardinals didn't play Thursday, so they didn't win. Unfortunately, there's more ground to make up -- 6 1/2 games -- after another dreadful performance in the house of horrors.