Much of the talk in the National League Central in 2017 has centered around the surprising play of the Milwaukee Brewers and the up and down season for the defending World Champion Chicago Cubs.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have officially entered the conversation.
Josh Harrison's go-ahead single in the bottom of the fifth made a winner out of Jameson Taillon and the Pirates completed a four-game sweep of first-place Milwaukee with a 4-2 victory Thursday at PNC Park.
Third-place Pittsburgh (48-48) came from behind to win all four games, and not only pulled to within three games of the Brewers, but are a .500 team for the first time since April 16. Milwaukee leads second-place Chicago by a game heading into the weekend.
Milwaukee (52-46), which has lost five consecutive games, was clinging to a one-run lead when Gregory Polanco launched a 2-1 fast ball from Jimmy Nelson into the center field bleachers for his ninth home run that tied the game in the fourth.
While that ball was hit well, the Pirates picked up the go-ahead runs an inning later with much softer contact. Still facing Nelson (5 IP, 4 ER), Chris Stewart singled and was sacrificed to second, and after a strike out, Harrison poked a single the other way, chasing home Stewart to put Pittsburgh up for good.
Andrew McCutchen was jammed, but was able to muscle a single also to the opposite field and Harrison touched home for a 4-2 lead.
Taillon labored for much of the day, but went 5 1/3 innings allowing two earned runs while striking out eight. Four Pittsburgh relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The Pirates' bullpen allowed just one earned run and struck out 15 batters in 13 innings pitched over the four games.
The visiting Brewers went on top in the fourth.
Hernan Perez polished off a nice, eight-pitch at bat with a lead off walk and moved to second on an infield single from Manny Pina. Brett Phillips roped a double into the corner that evened things up at 1-1, and a batter later, Orlando Arcia's ground out scored Pina to give Milwaukee a 2-1 lead.
The Pirates, who were coming off a walk-off win in 10 innings in Wednesday's game, grabbed the first lead of the night with a two-out rally in the bottom of the second.
After singling, Adam Frazier was initially called out at second on a stolen base, which would've ended the inning. Pittsburgh challenged the call, and when replays showed Frazier snuck his right hand in before the tag the call was overturned. Two batters later, No. 8 hitter Chris Stewart hit a flair single over first base that chased home Frazier for a 1-0 lead.
Stewart, the team's back up catcher, picked up his first three-hit game since September 11, 2015, also against Milwaukee.
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