It helped that each of those innings began with a walk ? accounting for four of the nine issued by the Pirates . Starter Ian Snell and four relievers went to three-ball counts against 17-of-35 batters.

With a backdrop of about 30,000 empty seats at PNC Park on a wet, chilly night, the Pirates absorbed their 17th straight defeat against the Brewers.

It's the longest stretch of domination by one team over another since 1969-70, when the Baltimore Orioles owned the Kansas City Royals for 23 straight games.

The Pirates won't get another chance to crack the streak until July 20, when the Brewers come to PNC Park for three games. The two teams have nine games against each other remaining this season.

Snell (1-4) lasted just five-plus innings and allowed five runs on four hits. The right-hander walked five and struck out two.

After tossing a career-high 131 pitches in seven innings six days earlier against the Brewers, Snell was only slightly better last night. He threw 94 pitches, 51 for strikes.

Jesse Chavez took over in the fifth. He faced five batters and walked two of them, including a bases-loaded free pass to Rickie Weeks. Evan Meek yielded Craig Counsell's two-run double in the eighth.