Gregory Polanco powers MLB-worst Pittsburgh Pirates to sweep of Milwaukee Brewers

Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Designated hitter Gregory Polanco hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a dramatic triumph and series sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

The Brewers led the Pirates 4-3 through 7 1/2 innings before Polanco's 419-foot, two-run homer at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Polanco went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored in the 5-4 victory.

Pittsburgh entered the series with just four wins in 21 games this season. The Pirates (7-17) have the worst record in Major League Baseball.

Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier hit an RBI single for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and Jarrod Dyson pushed the lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the second.

First baseman Justin Smoak plated Keston Hiura with an RBI double in the top of the fourth inning for the Brewers' first run. Omar Narvaez tied the score with an RBI single for Milwaukee in the top of the fifth before Smoak smacked a two-run homer to give the Brewers a 4-2 lead in the sixth.

Pittsburgh's Bryan Reynolds drove in J.T. Riddle in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Brewers' lead to one run.

Neither team scored in the seventh inning and Riddle led off the bottom of the eighth with a strikeout before Cole Tucker singled to left field. Reynolds struck out in the third at-bat of the inning before Polanco settled in against Brewers relief pitcher David Phelps.

Polanco worked the count even before he belted a 1-1 cutter over the center field fence to give the Pirates a one-run edge. The two-run shot traveled 107 mph, hovered 125 feet above the field and took 6.4 seconds to clear the outfield wall, according to Statcast.

Richard Rodriguez retired the final three hitters in the top of the ninth to pick up his first save of the season for the Pirates. Pittsburgh starter J.T. Brubaker allowed four hits and two runs in four innings and Corbin Burnes allowed five hits and three runs in his start for Milwaukee.

Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich went 0 for 3 in the loss. Smoak went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Dyson went 2 for 2 with an RBI for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates (7-17) next face the Chicago White Sox at 8:10 p.m. EDT Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. The Brewers (11-15) host the Cincinnati Reds at 8:10 p.m. EDT Monday at Miller Park in Milwaukee.

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