MILWAUKEE -- Prior to his team's game Wednesday night at Miller Park, Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle spoke glowingly about the Pirates' recent success with runners in scoring position.

So naturally, the baseball spirits felt the need to intervene. The Pirates went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine on base, wasting an effective effort from Trevor Williams as the Brewers rallied late for a 4-3 victory.

"He had five walks early," Hurdle said of Brewers starter Junior Guerra, who also gave up seven hits but held Pittsburgh to just three runs over six innings. "We had a couple opportunities to get him. ... Bases loaded, one out in the second. We had two on with one out in the fourth. We weren't able to crack him there, so he held his ground."

The three runs Pittsburgh did score off Guerra appeared to be enough for Williams, who struck out a career-high seven batters while working six-plus innings.

"He pitched as I said extremely well," Hurdle said. "I mean, seven punch-outs. Two walks. He continues to grow and develop."

Williams breezed through his first six innings, allowing just an RBI single in the third to Domingo Santana.

Josh Bell pushed the Pirates' lead to 3-1 with a solo homer in the top of the sixth. Williams responded with a 1-2-3 effort in the bottom of the inning but opened the seventh by allowing a single to Keon Broxton and a double down the left field line to Orlando Arcia, his second hit of the day.

"I saw it play out in my head," Williams said. "I thought he was going to hit a ground ball to the that side. He's a candidate for a double play. They are two burners out there with Broxton and Arcia. I saw that out of the hand and thought that's what going to happen, he just pulled it a little too much down the line. It's tough. It's a game of inches and sometimes, baseball sucks that way."

With pinch hitter Eric Thames, a left-handed batter, due up, Hurdle turned to lefty Tony Watson. Watson got Thames to bounce into an out at second, though Broxton was able to score and cut the deficit to a run.

After Eric Sogard struck out, Watson gave way to Daniel Hudson, whose 2-0 slider to Santana caught just enough of the plate for him to crush it into the right field corner for his 12th home run of the season.

"Off the bat, I thought it might go foul," said Hudson (1-3). "It just stayed fair. He did a good job. He did a good job of sitting on it and shooting it that way."

With the lead in hand, Jacob Barnes struck out the side in the eighth and Corey Knebel worked around a one-out single in the ninth. The Pittsburgh closer clinched his 11th save of the season when Arcia chased down a hard chopper shortstop and threw to Thames, who hauled in the throw at first just in time to catch John Jaso.

"I was yelling, 'Don't throw it,'" manager Craig Counsell said. "To myself, that's what I was thinking. That's his play, for sure. It took a great play on Thames' end, too. It is a special play in a big moment."

The victory, coupled with a loss earlier in the day by the Chicago Cubs, increased the Brewers' lead in the National League Central to 1 1/2 games over the defending World Series champs and five games ahead of third-place Pittsburgh.

"We were just playing," Santana said. "We all know our pitching was struggling a little bit, but I'm so glad we passed through that with a win. I knew eventually we were going to be right where we want to be."

NOTES: Milwaukee placed struggling RHP Wily Peralta on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained left calf and recalled LHP Brent Suter from Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... The Brewers agreed to terms with first-round draft pick Keston Hiura, a second baseman/outfielder. The NCAA batting champ this season, Hiura took batting practice with the big-league club and will report to Phoenix where he will join Milwaukee's rookie-level Arizona League club. ... Pirates C Francisco Cervelli sat out a second straight game with manager Clint Hurdle giving Chris Stewart a start behind the plate. ... Brewers 2B Jonathan Villar (lower back strain) and LF Ryan Braun (strained left calf) will begin rehab assignments Thursday with Class A Wisconsin. Both are expected to remain on assignment through the weekend, manager Craig Counsell said.