PITTSBURGH (AP) – Ryan Ludwick’s single in the bottom of the ninth drove in the winning run and the Pittsburgh Pirates came back from a blown save in the top of the inning for a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

Ludwick’s fly ball to deep center field fell for a single and scored pinch-runner Chase d’Arnaud from second after pinch-hitter Jason Jaramillo had doubled to left with one out.

Garrett Jones homered for the first time in more than a month for Pittsburgh (70-87), which reached 70 wins for the first time since 2004.

The Pirates had been a strike away from that elusive 70th victory, but closer Joel Hanrahan hit Todd Frazier in the hand with a 98 mph fastball, the eighth pitch of a dramatic at-bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth.

The blown save was Hanrahan’s fourth save in 43 opportunities.

Paul Janish had two hits and an RBI and Joey Votto had his 99th RBI for the Reds.

A year after winning the National League Central title, Cincinnati (76-81) is assured of its 10th losing season in the past 11 years.

Ryan Doumit had two hits and an RBI and Andrew McCutchen added two hits for Pittsburgh, which won for the second in its past seven games overall and second time in its past seven home games.

Pirates starter Jeff Locke was on a pitch limit and was lifted after 4 2-3 innings when his 80th pitch became an RBI double by Votto.

That left two men on, but Daniel Moskos got Jay Bruce to strike out swinging to end the inning.

Making his third career start, Locke was charged with one run, six hits and two walks.

“It was a little peace of mind, but I still think it bothered me,” Kuroda said through a translator. “Little things bother me. I didn’t change any of my mechanics.”

He said he plans to make his next scheduled start.

Kuroda (12-16) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked two to win for the first time in three starts this month. He is now 5-1 against the Pirates in his career.

“(Rod) Barajas called a great game,” Kuroda said. “He knew all the batters. He wanted me to pitch inside and every time I was doubting pitches he called the right ones.”

Loney’s first career pinch-hit homer off Chris Resop hit the top of the right-field wall, capping a four-run sixth inning that extended the Dodgers’ lead to 7-2. Dee Gordon grounded into a fielder’s choice to first base, scoring Russell Mitchell for the other run.

“Those extra runs made it a lot easier on us,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.

Kuroda gave up three consecutive hits to open the sixth, including Alex Presley’s leadoff homer, before retiring the next three batters to end the inning.

“Hiro was good,” Mattingly said. “He was sharper than his last two outings, like he had a little zip back. It felt like he was throwing the ball where he wanted. The MRI helped him because it let him know there was no damage and gave him the freedom as a player to go out there and let it go.”

Pittsburgh’s Jeff Locke (0-2) gave up three runs and five hits in three innings, walked two and struck out none in his second major league start after being recalled from Triple-A on Sept. 6.

Locke, who lives in New Hampshire, said it was his first time being out of the Eastern time zone.

“It was very exciting,” he said. “It’s definitely an honor to come here and pitch in one of the legendary stadiums of all time. I had this adrenaline going. But I wasn’t nervous at all. I just left a lot of pitches up and got into a lot of deep counts.”

Pittsburgh is 17-39 since July 20, when it was 51-44 and led the NL Central by a half-game.

The Dodgers took a 3-1 lead in the third on Kemp’s single that increased his career high RBIs total and Juan Rivera’s fielder’s choice groundout. Barajas tied the game at 1 in the second when his RBI double hit the left-field line.

The Pirates’ other run came in the first when Garrett Jones scored on shortstop Gordon’s throwing error that sailed past first base.

NOTES: Kemp had his 51st multi-hit game, the most by a Dodger since Juan Pierre’s 59 in 2007. … Mattingly said he heard from GM Ned Colletti that LHP Clayton Kershaw won’t be suspended by MLB after hitting Arizona’s Gerardo Parra with a pitch and getting ejected Wednesday. … Dodgers RHP Jonathan Broxton will have arthroscopic surgery Monday to reduce a spur on his right elbow and remove loose chips. He hasn’t pitched since May while bothered by his elbow and a sore back. … Pirates C Ryan Doumit had two singles to improve to 18 for 49 in 14 career games at Chavez Ravine.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Brian Burres pitched into the sixth in his first start of the season and Alex Presley had two triples, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Friday. 

Presley reached four times and scored twice as Pittsburgh snapped a five-game losing streak. Josh Harrison doubled, singled and scored twice.

Burres (1-0) allowed one run and five hits over 5 1-3 innings. The left-hander was promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday. 

Four Pirates relievers combined for 3 2-3 perfect innings, with Joel Hanrahan picking up his 33rd save in 36 chances.

Jason Grilli got the last two outs of the sixth, Chris Leroux pitched the seventh and Jose Veras worked the eighth before Hanrahan struck out two in the ninth. 

Carlos Pena went deep for the Cubs, who have lost nine of 12. The first baseman now has at least 25 homers in five straight seasons and six times overall in his career. 

Ryan Dempster (10-11) worked out of a couple of early jams and held Pittsburgh to three runs and seven hits over 6 1-3 innings. He struck out nine, two shy of his season best, and threw a season-high 121 pitches. 

Pena connected in the second, hitting a drive to the deepest part of center field to give the Cubs the lead. 

Pittsburgh responded with two in the third. Presley led off with a triple off the right-field wall and Harrison followed with a single to right. Garrett Jones added a two-out RBI double. 

Neither team mounted much offense after that. The Cubs stranded two runners in the third and fourth. The Pirates didn’t threaten again until Presley’s one-out triple in the seventh chased Dempster. Presley scored on Jose Tabata’s two-out single off Kerry Wood. 

Presley became the first Pirate to record two triples in a game since Andrew McCutchen on June 8, 2009. He has five triples on the season. 

MILWAUKEE — Nyjer Morgan’s game-ending sacrifice fly in the 10th inning lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 2-1 win over the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates and a series sweep.The Brewers have now won all eight games against the Pirates this season and 12 straight over the last two years at Miller Park.The last time the Pirates won at Miller Park was April 28, 2010. The Pirates have won just two of the team’s last 36 games in Milwaukee. We’ll send the latest Pittsburgh sports headlines to your phone or email every day — just sign up here.
With one out in the 10th inning, George Kottaras singled to left field and Casey McGehee followed with a double.Morgan then hit the first pitch from Chris Resop (3-4) to deep right field, and Kottaras scored easily for the win.Charlie Morton held Milwaukee scoreless over the first seven innings and allowed just three hits.

Reliever Joel Hanrahan came in with two outs in the eighth inning and struck Morgan out swinging for what should have been the third out. But the ball bounced away from catcher Michael McKenry, allowing Morgan to reach first base while Jerry Hairston Jr. moved from second to third. Hanrahan was charged with a wild pitch.”It was a great pitch and, unfortunately, as good as our catcher has been at blocking balls, it was probably wasn’t the textbook way to go at that one,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “We had the right guy in, the situation presented itself, we moved on it, and it didn’t work out.”The next batter, Ryan Braun, singled to center field and drove Hairston home to tie the score at 1-1. It was just the second blown save for Hanrahan in 32 chances this year.Garrett Jones scored Pittsburgh’s only run of the day in the first inning, when Andrew McCutchen hit a double to deep left field off Milwaukee starter Shaun Marcum.Takashi Saito (3-1) pitched a scoreless 10th inning and got the win for the Brewers.

Copyright 2011 by WTAE. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MILWAUKEE — Nyjer Morgan’s game-ending sacrifice fly in the 10th inning lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 2-1 win over the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates and a series sweep.The Brewers have now won all eight games against the Pirates this season and 12 straight over the last two years at Miller Park.The last time the Pirates won at Miller Park was April 28, 2010. The Pirates have won just two of the team’s last 36 games in Milwaukee. We’ll send the latest Pittsburgh sports headlines to your phone or email every day — just sign up here.
With one out in the 10th inning, George Kottaras singled to left field and Casey McGehee followed with a double.Morgan then hit the first pitch from Chris Resop (3-4) to deep right field, and Kottaras scored easily for the win.Charlie Morton held Milwaukee scoreless over the first seven innings and allowed just three hits.

Reliever Joel Hanrahan came in with two outs in the eighth inning and struck Morgan out swinging for what should have been the third out. But the ball bounced away from catcher Michael McKenry, allowing Morgan to reach first base while Jerry Hairston Jr. moved from second to third. Hanrahan was charged with a wild pitch.”It was a great pitch and, unfortunately, as good as our catcher has been at blocking balls, it was probably wasn’t the textbook way to go at that one,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “We had the right guy in, the situation presented itself, we moved on it, and it didn’t work out.”The next batter, Ryan Braun, singled to center field and drove Hairston home to tie the score at 1-1. It was just the second blown save for Hanrahan in 32 chances this year.Garrett Jones scored Pittsburgh’s only run of the day in the first inning, when Andrew McCutchen hit a double to deep left field off Milwaukee starter Shaun Marcum.Takashi Saito (3-1) pitched a scoreless 10th inning and got the win for the Brewers.

Copyright 2011 by WTAE. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

By Dan Moore

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Jul 23, 2011 – It took an especially stereotypical St. Louis Cardinals victory to break up the Pittsburgh Pirates’ monopolization of the National League Central news cycle Friday night–Chris Carpenter went eight innings for the win backed by Albert Pujols’s first-inning home run, his 22nd of the season. David Freese and Yadier Molina also hit the stands for the Cardinals, who needed every last bit of scoring on their way to the 6-4 win. With the victory the Cardinals improve to 51-47, one game back of the Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the crowded, average division.

The Pirates had 11 hits of their own, including doubles from Garrett Jones and Lyle Overbay, but Carpenter allowed just one walk in his eight innings and kept the Pirates’ punchless lineup in the park. The Pirates also got a worrisome look at what might happen when Paul Maholm–and the rest of their rotation–has to deal with league-average BAbip and HR/FB numbers; Maholm’s batting average against on balls in play was just .264 heading into Friday’s action, but he allowed ten hits and two home runs in his six innings.

Jaime Garcia and Kevin Correia will get Saturday night’s start, while Kyle Lohse–dealing with apparent inflammation on his pitching hand–was nevertheless cleared to get Sunday’s gig for the Cardinals.

Read More: Paul Maholm (P – PIT), Kyle Lohse (P – STL), Albert Pujols (1B – STL), Yadier Molina (C – STL), David Freese (3B – STL), St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates