By Josh, by jolly: Pirates’ walk-off is wild

PITTSBURGH — Just when it seemed like the Pirates might be in for another long day, Josh Harrison brought things to a quick, decisive and wild close Tuesday night at PNC Park. Harrison led off the bottom of the ninth by ripping a triple into center field and completed the walk-off, Little League homer as the Pirates beat the Brewers, 3-2.

Before Tuesday’s game, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle talked to his team about Murphy’s law, the adage that whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Pittsburgh saw it play out throughout an injury-plagued, up-and-down first half. They saw a condensed version in effect Sunday, when a two-out, two-strike solo homer off rock-steady closer Mark Melancon led to an 18-inning marathon. And it looked like recent history might repeat itself Tuesday. Down to their last strike in the top of the ninth, the Brewers tied the game on a Hernan Perez hit to center field off Melancon.

“We just talked about it today, having that adversity come your way the second half of the season. You’ve got to get all over it,” Hurdle said. “You don’t let it get you. You’ve got to go ahead and tackle it.”

Harrison tackled it in characteristically aggressive fashion, needing just two pitches in the bottom of the frame to win it. Harrison motored to third on his hustle triple and trotted home when second baseman Scooter Gennett’s throw struck Harrison and caromed into the Pirates’ dugout.

“He’s going to push the envelope,” Hurdle said. “He’s going to look to create something. He created an opportunity for us to score with a double, then his head’s down, he’s coming. It’s one of those, ‘No, no, no! Yeah, yeah, OK, great!’ At the end, he plays to win. He took a chance, forced a throw and it worked out really well.”

It was Harrison’s sixth career walk-off hit and his second in two years off right-hander Tyler Thornburg. In the 16th inning of that 18-inning marathon win on Sunday, Harrison saw the Nationals execute a perfect relay throw to nab Eric Fryer at the plate. He figured the odds, and perhaps Murphy’s law, were in his favor this time.

“I never broke stride. I was going to make them make perfect relays,” Harrison said. “The odds of that happening two games in a row, I was going to take my chances.”

It was the Pirates’ 10th victory in the teams’ last 14 meetings at PNC Park. The Pirates have won 14 of their last 20 games overall.

The Brewers are going in a different direction. They have lost 11 of their last 15 road games, including consecutive walk-offs Sunday in Cincinnati and Tuesday here.

“I’ve never had that situation, two walk-off losses in a row,” Perez said. “It’s tough, but I think we have to keep …

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