MILWAUKEE – The Pittsburgh Pirates still can't win in Milwaukee.
Ronny Cedeno hit a two-run homer, but that was all the offense the Pirates mustered in a 5-2 loss to the Brewers on Friday night that featured both benches clearing after a run-in by the Pittsburgh shortstop and Rickie Weeks.
"There is a history here," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "I'm not part of that. We're trying to create a new history."
Milwaukee has dominated the series in recent years, winning for the seventh straight time overall and 31st time in 34 chances at Miller Park since the start of 2007.
Hurdle wasn't even aware of how bad the Pirates are in Milwaukee before the game. He certainly got a taste of it Friday night.
"I was shocked just because of the length and the volume," Hurdle said. "There's only a couple guys around here that have been around that long, they have no clue."
Tempers flared and the benches and bullpens emptied after Weeks and Cedeno became entangled in a rundown, but order was restored quickly and without ejections.
Cedeno believes he did nothing wrong.
"I say, 'What's going on?' That's it. I know Weeks for long time because we grew up in the minor leagues," Cedeno said. "(I was) surprised he gave me attitude, so I don't say anything.
"I don't plan to fight. I don't plan on doing anything bad on the field. So, it happened. It is what it is. When you cross those lines right there, you don't have a friend."
Cedeno hit a two-run homer off Yovani Gallardo (4-2) in the fourth to tie the game. Gallardo broke the tie with an RBI single, and Ryan Braun added a two-run single off James McDonald in the bottom of the inning.
Gallardo pitched six solid innings before giving way to the bullpen. Marco Estrada threw a perfect seventh and eighth before John Axford picked up his eighth save in 10 tries.
McDonald (2-3) left after the fourth. He had given up two earned runs over his previous 18 innings in three starts before facing the Brewers, who kept him from getting into a rhythm.
Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead in the heated third inning when Jonathan Lucroy homered and Braun hit an RBI fielder's choice four batters later that emptied the benches.
McDonald blames himself for falling behind on Lucroy.
"If I had executed the pitch, then I think I would have had a better outcome," he said.
On the play, Weeks was caught in a rundown and tagged hard by Cedeno. It appeared Cedeno inadvertently pushed Weeks with his left arm and replays showed Weeks asking Cedeno, "What did you say?" before being restrained by third base umpire Brian O'Nora.
Weeks was pulled away from the situation quickly and returned to the dugout, and Cedeno didn't move toward the rest of the Brewers. Cedeno got his revenge in his next at-bat in the fourth with his two-run homer to left-center field that tied it.
NOTES: The Pirates pitching staff set a season high with 11 strikeouts. ... Pirates LF Jose Tabata had his 10th steal this season. ... Pittsburgh is on a three-game losing streak. ... The Pirates top three hitters were 1 of 11 with three strikeouts. ... Pirates RHP Jose Ascanio made his first appearance since August 2009. He missed last season because of shoulder surgery.
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