Brewers 12, Pirates 8: Ryan Braun hit one of five Milwaukee homers and the host Brewers completed a three-game sweep with their sixth straight home victory.

Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo hit his 10th career home run and allowed seven runs over 4 2/3 innings, falling short in his bid to win his seventh consecutive start. Milwaukee has won 11 of its last 13 contests, while the Pirates remained 1 1/2 games out of the second National League wild card spot.

Braun tied his career high with his 37th homer in the first inning, a three-run shot off James McDonald (12-7), who gave up eight runs (seven earned) over 2 2/3 frames.

McDonald yielded a solo homer to Jeff Bianchi in the second, and Rickie Weeks capped the three-run inning with a two-run blast. Weeks went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and four runs scored and is 10-for-17 over his last four games.

Carlos Gomez put Milwaukee ahead 8-4 with his two-run blast in the third, and the Brewers led 11-4 after Gallardo’s solo shot and Aramis Ramirez’s two-run double in the fourth.

Braun and Ramirez had three RBIs apiece for the Brewers, who have won 14 of their last 16 home games. After Manny Parra allowed the first two batters to reach base in the ninth, John Axford retired three in a row for his 23rd save.

Pittsburgh tried to keep pace with three home runs, beginning with Michael McKenry's solo shot in the second. Gaby Sanchez added a two-run homer in the fifth and Garrett Jones belted a solo homer in the sixth. McKenry and Sanchez had three RBIs apiece for the Pirates, who dropped to 10-19 since Aug. 3.

GAME NOTEBOOK: McDonald has gone 3-4 with a 7.14 ERA and 1.70 WHIP since the All-Star break. …Pirates 2B Brock Holt went 2-for-5 with an RBI in his first major-league start. … The Pirates are 3-6 in a stretch that has them scheduled to play 28 consecutive games against teams from the NL Central... Kameron Loe (5-4) earned the win after pitching 1 1/3 innings in relief of Gallardo. …Pittsburgh begins a six-game homestand against the lowly Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs on Monday.