Brewers outlast the rain, but not the Pirates in extra inning loss

PITTSBURGH (WITI)--- A long day felt even longer for the Brewers after losing 2-1 in 14 innings to the Pirates.

Rain interrupted the 2nd inning for 2 hours and 15 minutes before the Brewers and Pirates played 14 innings to decide the game.

Before the rain, thunder and lightning arrived, the Brewers took a 1-0 lead when Logan Schafer used the safety squeeze to score Yuniesky Betancourt in the 2nd inning. It was during the bottom half of the inning that the weather delay hit.

Because of the delay, Brewers starter Kyle Lohse did not return. Tyler Thornburg took over after the break getting a strike out to end the inning. He would pitch 5 innings allowing only 2 hits while striking out 4 and not allowing a run. John Axford relieved Thornburg, getting a strike out. That makes 22 straight appearances for Axford without allowing a run. It also lowers his ERA to 3.93 for the season.

Jim Henderson would come on in the 8th with a 1-0 lead, but Andrew McCutchen changed that with an RBI single tying the game at 1.

The Pirates would threaten in the 9th, with the bases loaded and 2 outs, Michael Gonzalez struck out pinch hitter Brandon Inge to end the threat and send the game to extra innings.

Brandon Kinzler took over pitching 3 perfect innings, striking out 3 along the way.

In the 13th, Francisco Rodriguez came in and loaded the bases with only 1 out. But he got out of trouble by inducing a double play to end that threat and send the game to the 14th.

The Brewers bats were quiet all game, getting only 4 hits in 46 at bats. That trend continued in the 14th.

Rodriguez would get into more trouble in the bottom of the 14th when pinch hitter Russell Martin singled to center. On the hit, Gaby Sanchez scored from 2nd base, beating the throw by Carlos Gomez, giving the Pirates a 2-1 win and a sweep.

The win gives the Pirates a Major League leading 51 wins and it pushed the Brewers even further down in the standings. They now trail the Pirates by 18 1/2 games.

On Monday, the Brewers open a 4 game series in Washington against the Nationals.