Pirates overcome rough start to beat Brewers, 7-6, in 11 innings

PITTSBURGH After he went 4-for-4 Saturday night, Josh Harrison played hero again Sunday by roping an 11th-inning walk-off single to left off Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Tyler Thornburg. The Pirates overcame a short 2 1/3-inning start from left-hander Francisco Liriano to win, 7-6, in a series finale at PNC Park.

The Pirates are 11-8 this season in extra-inning games.

“It’s not over ‘til it’s over,” Harrison said.

Setting up the deciding run was a critical misplay by left fielder Shane Peterson. He misjudged Travis Ishikawa’s leadoff line drive in the 11th and let it drop in front of him the same mistake Harrison had made moments earlier. Pinch-runner Pedro Florimon moved to third on a groundout and scampered home on Harrison’s line drive to left.

The Pirates (86-56) trail the first-place St. Louis Cardinals by 2 1/2 games, and lead the Chicago Cubs by four games for the top wild-card spot and home-field advantage in the National League wild-card game.

For Liriano, it was the second time this season he failed to pitch through the third. He allowed seven hits and five runs, three earned. He walked two, threw a wild pitch and struck out four. Despite his sluggish start Sunday, the Pirates have won 13 of Liriano’s past 14 starts, including his past 10 at PNC Park.

The Brewers’ leadoff hitter reached safely in each of the first four innings.

In the first, Liriano’s start went sideways in a hurry. He walked two hitters, threw a wild pitch, surrendered a double steal and, when given a chance to escape the inning unscathed, he fielded a slow dribbler and fired wildly to first. Jason Rogers, who had four hits, was given an RBI single on the play, and the second run was charged to Liriano.

Pedro Alvarez dropped a solo home run into the Brewers bullpen in the second, his 23rd home run and 20th solo shot this season. The Pirates nearly homered back-to-back, but left fielder Khris Davis crashed into the left-field rob to steal a home run from Francisco Cervelli.

After stranding runners at second and third in the second, Liriano got lit up in the third. Ryan Braun led off with a base hit, and Davis followed with a rocket into the bushes beyond the center-field fence his 20th home run this season.

Three hitters later, Elian Herrera doubled to give the Brewers a 5-1 lead, and Liriano’s outing was over. Joe Blanton gave up a run in 1 2/3 innings in relief, and Arquimedes Caminero turned in two scoreless frames to get the Pirates through six innings.

The Pirates gashed Jungmann for three runs in the fourth after he loaded the bases with one out. Travis Snider’s opposite-field double scored two, and Jordy Mercer followed with a sacrifice fly.

Jungmann, who debuted June 9 against the Pirates, allowed four hits, three walks and four runs in six innings, striking out seven. He entered the game 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA against the Pirates, having allowed one earned run in each of his first three starts against them.

After Herrera’s one-out error sparked a Pirates rally in the seventh off reliever Jeremy Jeffress, Andrew McCutchen drove in a run with a single to right, and Jung Ho Kang roped an RBI single to left, tying the score 6-6.

Jared Hughes (3-1) pitched a scoreless 10th inning to win.

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