MILWAUKEE _ The Pirates caught Brewers closer Josh Hader on off-night Saturday, when the hard-throwing left-hander walked five and coughed up a lead _ only to have Pittsburgh hand it right back.
There was no such luck this time around. Whatever version of Hader appeared the last time out, that guy was nowhere to be found Monday. This one made quick work of them in the ninth, as the Pirates dropped a 6-5 decision to the Brewers at Miller Park.
The Pirates (10-22) lost three of four here and finished their season series against the Brewers at 5-5.
Monday's win was made possible by pinch-hitter Orlando Arcia's single in the eighth inning off of Chris Stratton, who relieved Nik Turley after the left-hander walked another pinch-hitter, Avisail Garcia.
Arcia lined a single to left, scoring center fielder Ben Gamel from second.
While it appeared earlier the Pirates might be headed for a blowout loss, they pulled themselves back in it with a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth, tying the score at 5.
Adam Frazier knocked in the first on a single that he drilled down the first-base line. It scored Cole Tucker, who led off the inning with a double. The Pirates got a big two-out single from Jose Osuna, who smacked a hanging breaking ball into center.
The Pirates got off to a sloppy start in this one, as they made a pair of errors _ both by Kevin Newman _ and Trevor Williams walked two and hit a batter in the first four innings.
Milwaukee scored its first two runs on the first Newman miscue. Ranging to his left while playing second base, Newman had the ball kick off the heel of his glove. He hurried and made a throw, but it wasn't terribly accurate, the ball ticking off the outside of Colin Moran's glove at first.
Tough situation, too, as it looked like the Pirates were about to escape a nobody-out, bases-loaded jam; Williams got a strikeout and a grounder to second before Newman's misplay allowed two runs to score.
Erik Gonzalez tied the score with his third home run of the season in the third inning. Facing left-hander Brent Suter, Gonzalez connected on a 2-1 fastball down and in, depositing it over the fence in left field.
Monday marked the 18th start for Gonzalez in the Pirates' last 19 games, an indication that he's pretty much become an every-day player. And while Ke'Bryan Hayes coming up Tuesday could change his role, Gonzalez has hit enough to force the Pirates to keep him in the lineup.
A clean single from center fielder Gamel in the third pushed the Brewers ahead, 3-2, before another errant throw by Newman _ this time on a relay while trying to complete a double play _ allowed catcher Omar Narvaez to score.
That gave the Pirates 28 errors on the season, moving them into a tie with the Giants for the most in Major League Baseball. The Pirates, of course, led MLB in errors last season with 121.
Williams wasn't terribly efficient and rang up a high pitch count. He was at 84 through four and didn't make it much longer; manager Derek Shelton lifted Williams after he gave up a solo home run to Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura leading off the fifth.
It appeared that Williams missed his spot on the pitch, as Jacob Stallings called for the pitch up. It stayed down and out over the middle of the plate.
Speaking of Stallings, the Pirates catcher went 1-for-3 to finish August with a batting average of .392 (20-for-51). Jason Kendall (.400 in September 2004) remains the last Pirates catcher to hit .400 or better in a month.
