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MILWAUKEE -- The Pittsburgh Pirates had timely hitting, but a key double play helped even more.Andrew McCutchen, Jody Mercer and Josh Bell each drove in two runs and the Pirates preserved their faint playoff hopes with a 6-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.The Pirates won their fifth straight at Miller Park, and fifth of six overall to improve to .500 (75-75) for the first time since they were 69-69 on Sept. 8. Pittsburgh began the day five games behind San Francisco for the second NL wild card spot and St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins in between the Pirates and Giants.McCutchens two-run double in the first staked rookie left-hander Steven Brault to an early lead. Then, Bells two-run single in the top of fifth chased starter Matt Garza (5-8).Staked to a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Brault walked Jonathan Villar who stole second and moved to third on Orlando Arcias single to center. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle made a move to his bullpen and brought in Jared Hughes (1-1) to face Chris Carter.It is first and third with nobody out in the fifth, Hurdle said. Where we are in the season right now, I felt (Brault) gave us (enough.) It is a sticky situation.Carter lined Hughes first pitch at third baseman Jung Ho Kang, who fielded the ball cleanly and turned it into a double play that deflated the rally. Hughes struck out Domingo Santana to end the threat.We ended up scoring a run, but thats two outs right there on one pitch, Carter said. He ended up (retiring) the next guy. That kind of changed the momentum right there.Brewers manager Craig Counsell was even more emphatic.That was a big play, he said. We had guys on first and second and got to their bullpen. Chris hit a ball hard, and he made a nice play. That certainly was the play of the game, for sure.The Brewers went quietly the rest of the way against the Pirates bullpen.You want guys who can come in and have some experience and take care of it from there, Hurdle said.And thats exactly what happened.Wade LeBlanc pitched the sixth which ended on another double play. Juan Nicasio set the side down in order in the seventh. Antonio Bastardo struck out two in the eighth and Tony Watson tossed a perfect ninth for his 14th save in 17 chances.Brault was making his seventh career start and had already lost twice to the Brewers. He allowed Santanas run-scoring double in the third and Martin Maldonados home run in the fourth. Brault scattered five hits, struck out four, walked two and was three outs from his first major-league win.Even though I couldnt go the five and get the win, I kept my team in it, Brault said. We got the win. We are making a playoff push, that is all that really matters right now.Mercer produced run-scoring singles in the fourth and sixth.Adam Frazier went 3 for 4, scored twice and extended his streak of reaching base safely to 10 straight games for the Pirates.Garza allowed five runs and eight hits over four innings. He walked two and struck out two while slipping to 1/3 in four starts against the Pirates this seasonThe Brewers had won 11 of 17 since the Pirates four-game sweep in Milwaukee at the end of August, with home and away series victories over the NL Central Champion Chicago Cubs.NICASIO SETS A FRANCHISE RECORDRHP Juan Nicasio has recorded at least one strikeout in 30 straight appearances, a single-season club record for a Pirates relief pitcher. According to Elias, its the longest such streak in the majors this season and ties Cody Allens record with Cleveland in 2015.FEELING RIGHT AT HOMEMcCutchens two-run double in the first extended his hitting streak to eight games and gave him 48 RBI in 62 career games at Miller Park.GARZA RUNSOpponents have roughed up Garza for 26 runs (16 earned) in his last seven starts. He is 1-4 with a 4.00 ERA over that stretch.NEW BREWERS DADSLF Ryan Braun and C Manny Pina were out of the lineup in order to be with their wives and the newest member of his respective family. Brauns wife, Larisa, gave birth to a son, Greyson Joseph. Pinas wife, Leny, gave birth to a daughter, Jimena. However, Pina pinch hit in the ninth and flied out to end the game. Both players were expected back before the weekend.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: C Chris Stewart underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to be out six-to-eight weeks. Dr. James Andrews operated on the 34-year-old catcher in Gulf Shores, Florida. ... LF Starling Marte missed his 15th consecutive game with low back discomfort.Brewers: The Brewers selected the contract of C/1B Josmil Pinto from Triple-A Colorado Springs.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (4-3, 3.97 ERA) makes his 12th major-league start. The 24-year-old right-hander is 0-0 with a 2.84 ERA in one career outing against the Brewers.Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (8-14, 4.42) makes his 10th career start against the Pirates. He is 5-2 with a 3.16 ERA in his previous nine starts, including 1-0 with a 4.80 ERA ibn three starts this season. Nike Shoes Black Friday Online .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Nike Shoes Black Friday 2019 . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. http://www.nikeshoesblackfriday.com/ . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. Nike Shoes Black Friday Online . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Cheap Nike Shoes Black Friday . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks are scheduled to meet only two more times this season, but its not out of the realm of possibility to see these surging clubs face off in the postseason.When the Sharks and Blackhawks hit the ice Sunday evening, two of the Western Conferences best teams will each be looking for their fifth straight win.This is their second matchup of 2016-17 and the Sharks only regular-season game at the United Center. San Jose is 2-6-2 in its last 10 visits to Chicago, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is not expecting an easy game.Weve got a very good team to get ready for (Sunday) night, he said.On Nov. 23 in San Jose, Logan Couture scored a power-play goal, Joel Ward added a shorthanded tally, Brent Burns had two assists and Martin Jones stopped 33 shots in the Sharks 2-1 win over the Blackhawks.Chicago (21-8-4) opens up a four-game homestand, where it is 12-2-3, with an NHL-best 46 points after rallying with three goals in the third period, capped by an empty-netter from Artemi Panarin, to beat the St. Louis Blues 6-4 on Saturday.Panarin has been the Blackhawks most productive player during their winning streak. With four goals and five assists in the last four games, the reigning Calder Trophy winner now has 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) tying Patrick Kane for the team lead. Panarin also scored in the loss to the Sharks last month.Also productive for Chicago has been Scott Darling, who has been solid in goal while Corey Crawford recovers from an appendectomy. Though he has surrendered four goals in each of his last two games, Darling has given up only 16 goals in his last eight contests, posting a 5-2-1 record with a shutout.When you play this much, just like any goalie, theres going to be some games where you have some bad bounces or bad luck, Darling told the Chicago Sun-Times. Youre not going to have shutouts every game. ... Put it in the rearview mirror and get ready for the next one.Based on the timeframe given for Crawford to heal following surgery, he should be back during this homestand, which ends Dec. 27 against the Winnipeg Jets.If Crawford is not activated and Darling is given a well-deserved breather, then Lars Johansson would make his NHL debut against the Pacific Division leaders. In 16 games with Rockford of the Americaan Hockey League, the 29-year-old native of Sweden was 6-7-0 with a 2.dddddddddddd63 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and a shutout.The Blackhawks could be without Artem Anisimov, who is day-to-day after leaving in the first period Saturday with an upper-body injury. Anisimov has 14 goals this season, but his six game-winners ties Jeff Carter of the Los Angeles Kings for the league lead.San Jose (19-11-1) will try to close its four-game road trip by extending its longest winning streak of the season. After shootout wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, the Sharks scored four goals in the first 26:44 and held on to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 on Friday.Rookies Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier have made big impacts for the defending West champions. Labanc has four goals including a game-winner in 18 games so far and Meier, the ninth overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, scored on his first shot during his pro debut against the Canadiens.Weve got young guys that have come in and basically knocked down the door, Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told the San Jose Mercury News. Theyre not coming in just hoping to survive.Labanc and Meier are part of a balanced offensive attack thats been key to the Sharks success through the first three games of this road trip. Eight players have scored at least one goal and 14 players have registered a minimum of one point, with Burns (goal, three assists) and fellow blueliner David Schlemko (goal, two assists) leading the way.Burns is continuing to play at a Norris Trophy-winning level, coming into this contest on a seven-game points streak, in which he has five goals and two assists, and he leads all defensemen with 13 goals and 133 shots taken. But since joining the Sharks in 2011, Burns has been held in check by the Blackhawks as theyve limited him to one goal in eight games in Chicago.If Jones starts in goal, he will be looking for his ninth road win of the season. Starting with a shutout against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 8, Jones is 7-2-1 with a 1.97 GAA and .927 save percentage away from home.His lone win over three games in Chicago came Feb. 9 when he made 33 saves in a 2-0 victory. ' ' '