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PITTSBURGH — Russell Martin has played long enough to realize that games in early June are rarely pivotal. Mike Haynes Jersey . Yet the Pirates veteran catcher admitted that Friday nights win felt good as Pittsburgh tries to stay with striking distance of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Martin had three hits, including a three-run double during an eight-run sixth inning, and the Pirates rolled to a 15-5 victory over the Brewers, handing nemesis Kyle Lohse his first loss since April 1. The Pirates still trail the Brewers by six games, primarily because they have gone 3-8 against Milwaukee this season. The win was Pittsburghs sixth in its last eight games. „Anytime in the season where you can just feed off each other like that, its going to be a fun time,“ Martin said. „Especially against a team that were trailing right now. If you can beat up on a good team, it definitely does give you confidence.“ Martins double keyed an inning that increased Pittsburghs lead to 13-3 and included Jose Tabata hitting two RBI singles and reliever Tyler Thornburg issuing two bases-loaded walks. The Pirates sent 13 batters to the plate. „We were able to barrel some balls and we took some walks,“ Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. „The hits were nice, the walks were kind of runaway walks. Not many pitches were close in the walk sequence, it is what it is.“ Lohse (7-2) had won seven consecutive decisions, the longest active streak in the major leagues, but was tagged for eight runs and nine hits in five-plus innings. He had won his last six decisions against the Pirates, dating to 2011, and pitched a three-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs five days earlier. „I could go inning by inning about everything that went wrong but it was just one of those games where they hit good pitches and they hit bad pitches,“ Lohse said. „The best thing to do is forget about it and get ready for the next one. Thats the approach I took after I threw the shutout and thats the approach this time.“ Rookie Brandon Cumpton (1-2) allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings after giving up 11 runs — the most by a major league pitcher this season — in 3 2-3 innings in losing his previous start at the Los Angeles Dodgers last Saturday. „I really just put my head down and got back to work after that last start,“ Cumpton said. „I was just trusting my stuff and know its going to be there. It was great to get out there and get back on the horse.“ Andrew McCutchen homered and doubled for the Pirates while Jordy Mercer homered and hit an RBI single. Carlos Gomez, Aramis Ramirez and Scooter Gennett all had two hits for the Brewers. McCutchen doubled in a run and scored on Martins single in the first inning as the Pirates jumped on Lohse early. McCutchens seventh homer, a solo shot in the third, made it 3-0. NOTES: Pittsburgh LF Starling Marte, who is hitless in his last 20 at-bats, did not start for a third straight game. Tabata took his place for a second straight game. … Milwaukee LHP Tom Gorzelanny, who is rehabbing from off-season shoulder surgery, pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings for Triple-A Nashville on Friday night against Memphis in a PCL game. Though he has allowed two runs in 14 innings in nine games, Gorzelanny likely wont be ready to be activated from the DL when his 30-day rehab assignment ends next Friday. … Pirates RHP Stolmy Pimentel, who is on the DL with right shoulder inflammation, pitched three scoreless innings in a rehab start for Double-A Altoona against Trenton in the Eastern League. … RHP Vin Mazzaro accepted an outright assignment by Pittsburgh to Triple-A Indianapolis after clearing waivers. He was designated for assignment May 26. … Brewers RHP Matt Garza (3-4, 4.42) faces RHP Edinson Volquez (3-4, 4.25) on Saturday. Troy Brown Jersey . The post-season, Pierce said repeatedly, is no time to panic. And the Heat, apparently, are nothing to fear. Mike Wilson Jersey . The star receiver certainly isnt celebrating it with the Texans mired in a franchise-record 13-game skid.ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions have claimed defensive end Kourtnei Brown off waivers. The move was made Monday. Brown was released by the Buffalo Bills last week. The former Cllemson player was not drafted in 2012 and was cut last year by the Bills before the regular season. Ronnie Lott Jersey. Buffalo re-signed him in January to a reserve-future contract. ‚ ‚ ‚