PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — Esmerlyn Valdez hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates held off the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 on Saturday evening at PNC Park. Valdez’s 10th home run of the season scored Bryan Reynolds and gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. Milwaukee tied the game in the fifth on Brice Turang’s two-run double. The Pirates went ahead for good in the sixth when Reynolds singled home Brandon Lowe. Yohan Ramírez (6-2) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win. Mason Montgomery struck out two in a perfect ninth for his first save. Shane Drohan (4-3) took the loss, allowing three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. Each team collected seven hits. Attendance was 29,080 and the game lasted 2:46. Milwaukee fell to 59-36; Pittsburgh improved to 49-47.

PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — Esmerlyn Valdez launched a two-run homer and Bryan Reynolds delivered a tiebreaking single in the sixth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 on Saturday evening at PNC Park. The Pirates earned their second consecutive one-run victory over the Brewers in front of 29,080 fans, improving to 49-47. Milwaukee dropped to 59-36 but remained atop the National League Central. Pittsburgh started strong in the fourth inning. Reynolds doubled off the right-field wall and Valdez followed by crushing a fly ball over the left-field fence for his 10th home run of the season, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Milwaukee answered in the fifth. Joey Ortiz led off with a single, and Christian Yelich followed with a single of his own. After a forceout left runners at the corners, Brice Turang doubled to center field, scoring both Ortiz and Jackson Chourio to tie the game at 2-2. The Brewers loaded the bases on two walks but Pirates reliever Brandon Eisert induced a groundout from Garrett Mitchell to end the inning. The decisive moment came in the bottom of the sixth. With the score still tied at 2-2, Brandon Lowe doubled to center. Reynolds then lined a single to right, scoring Lowe to put Pittsburgh ahead 3-2. Milwaukee threatened in the top of the eighth when Luis Lara singled, but Isaac Mattson got Cooper Pratt to pop out and Andrew Vaughn to fly out, preserving the one-run lead. Yohan Ramírez earned the win, pitching a scoreless sixth inning. He allowed one hit and struck out none in his one inning of work, improving to 6-2. Mason Montgomery recorded his first save of the season, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning. Shane Drohan took the loss for Milwaukee. He pitched six innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out five, falling to 4-3. Milwaukee’s best chance to reclaim the lead came in the top of the seventh. But after Yelich walked to open the frame, Chourio struck out, Turang flied out and William Contreras, batting for Gary Sánchez, was called out on strikes to end the game. Both teams matched each other with seven hits apiece. For the Pirates, Bubba Chandler started and went 4⅔ innings, allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts. In the Milwaukee bullpen, Grant Anderson worked a scoreless seventh before giving way to Drohan’s relief. The game’s pivotal sequence unfolded in the bottom of the sixth when Reynolds broke the tie and the Pirates’ bullpen held firm. Milwaukee had put runners on base in each of the final four innings but could not push across the tying run. Pittsburgh’s victory also snapped a two-game losing streak and kept the Pirates within striking distance of a wild-card spot. Milwaukee, which had won four of its previous five games, fell short in its bid to extend a strong stretch of play. The teams will conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon at PNC Park, with Milwaukee scheduled to play at Pittsburgh again before returning home to face the Miami Marlins. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Milwaukee 7, Pittsburgh 5. Interstat’s ELO system had given Milwaukee a 60.80 percent probability to win. Milwaukee had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The combined total of 13 runs went over the over-under line of 8.5.

PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — The Milwaukee Brewers, sporting the best record in the National League, visit PNC Park on Saturday evening to face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of a three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT under a forecast of 78 degrees and rain. Milwaukee (59-34) enters with the league’s top winning percentage, having taken three of four from the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this week. The Brewers won an 8-4 decision Thursday behind a solid start from right-hander Logan Henderson, who allowed three earned runs on three hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out four. Henderson will be a key player to watch. The righty earned the win in that outing, improving his season ledger as Milwaukee looks to build momentum. The Brewers have won seven of their last nine games overall, including a sweep of a doubleheader in St. Louis on Tuesday. Pittsburgh (47-47) sits at .500 after dropping a 10-5 decision to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. Center fielder Jake Mangum was a bright spot, going 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. Mangum has been productive of late, collecting multiple hits in three of his last four games through Thursday, though he was 0-for-4 in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to Atlanta. The Pirates have lost three of their last four after a strong stretch that included series wins at Washington and Philadelphia. Saturday’s game follows a scoreless opener Friday night. That contest ended 0-0, a stark contrast to the teams’ previous meeting in April, when Pittsburgh took two of three at Milwaukee by scores of 6-0, 6-3, and lost 5-0. Milwaukee’s offense has clicked recently. Second baseman Brice Turang and designated hitter Jake Bauers each homered in Thursday’s win. The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-5 Brewers victory. Milwaukee is a -1.5 run-line favorite, and the over/under is set at 8.5 total runs. Following this series, Milwaukee returns home for a six-game homestand against Miami and the New York Mets. Pittsburgh travels to Cleveland for three games starting Friday.