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MILWAUKEE -- One big swing released a little frustration for Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer.After an intentional walk loaded the bases for him with two outs in the sixth inning, Mercer hit his first career grand slam just over the wall in left-center to help the Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-3 Friday night.Puts a little chip on your shoulder, for sure, Mercer said.With runners on second and third with two outs, starter Matt Garza walked Francisco Cervelli to bring up the eighth-place hitter, Mercer.Garza got ahead in the count 0-2. Then he hung a pitch over the plate.I floated a slider in there, he said.He didnt get help from third baseman Jonathan Villar that inning. He committed errors on consecutive at-bats to open the sixth.Villar bobbled a bouncer by Andrew McCutchen, then threw wildly to second after making a diving stab on Gregory Polancos hard shot.Starling Marte followed with an RBI double off Garza (4-6) to break a scoreless tie. Three batters later, Mercer connected.You take advantage of those opportunities, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. In the big leagues, if you want to be an elite team, those are opportunities you need to cash in on.The Brewers rallied in the bottom of the sixth behind a three-run shot from rookie shortstop Orlando Arcia, his first in the big leagues.Pittsburghs problematic bullpen barely held on from there to back starter Ryan Vogelsong (3-3).NERVOUS NINTHDomingo Santana popped out to end the game with the potential tying run at second.Tony Watson escaped the jam for his ninth save. He had allowed a two-out single to Ryan Braun and a walk to Chris Carter, and they pulled off a double steal before getting stranded.The game boiled down to a couple of mistakes, a bad 0-2 pitch and that was the game, manager Craig Counsell said.MOUND MENA pair of veteran right-handers, Vogelsong and Garza, kept the bats quiet over the first five innings.Vogelsong won for the second time in three outings, allowing four hits in 5 2/3 innings while striking out six and walking four. He has a 2.48 ERA in five August starts.Ive always been a guy that gets out of stuff, sometimes better than others, Vogelsong said. Most of the time, get some traffic and make pitches and get out of it.Garza struck out a season-high nine, but stomped off the mound after Mercers two-out blast.Thats a tough one to swallow for him over there, Hurdle said.ORLANDO BLOOMSVillar was the Brewers starting shortstop until a few weeks ago when top prospect Arcia was called up from the minors. Villar, who has 50 steals, is still working on the glove at third.Arcia, known for his defensive prowess, got a huge confidence boost at the plate. He was hitting .182 coming into the night.He pointed into the stands after crossing the plate. Somewhere in Miller Park, his sister and two friends were watching.Arcia said teammate Martin Maldonado, who was on deck, told him to watch for Jared Hughes to leave a sinker up in the zone.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: RHP Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) was scheduled to make his next rehab start on Saturday for Triple-A Indianapolis.Brewers: RHP Junior Guerra (elbow) was scheduled to make on rehab start before returning to the team, likely when rosters expand on Sept. 1. Counsell said the team will likely move to a six-man rotation when Guerra returns. ... 3B Will Middlebrooks (right leg) will start a rehab assignment at Double-A Biloxi this week.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (3-3) has a 2.25 ERA over his last eight starts, going at least six innings in each game.Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (7-13) is 5-2 in seven career starts against the Pirates with a 2.55 ERA.---Follow Genaro Armas at: https://twitter.com/GArmasAP Jake Lamb Jersey . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Taijuan Walker Diamondbacks Jersey . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. http://www.diamondbackssale.com/diamondbacks-alex-avila-jersey/ . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. Yasmany Tomas Diamondbacks Jersey . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. Taijuan Walker Jersey . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It seems that nobody is quite certain of the etymology of the term red zone, though many give credit to former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs for coining the term for the area inside an opponents 20-yard line.The Chiefs probably have their own choice words for it.Many of them unsuitable for print.For all the warts that dot their inconsistent offense, their baffling inability to score touchdowns when they get into the red zone may be the ugliest. And it is even more pronounced when stacked up next to Tennessee, which visits Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, and just happens to be one of the best teams in the league at converting those opportunities into seven points.Everyone from Chiefs coach Andy Reid to quarterback Alex Smith has tried to pinpoint the trouble, and they generally agree that its a combination of play-calling, execution and simple unluckiness.Weve been very good in the red zone at times, too, Reid insisted, almost as if he was trying to convince himself along with everyone else. Theyre all different. Everything is different down there, from the defenses that are played to each situation where you havent had success.So you go back and evaluate it, Reid said, and you come back again and give it your best shot.There are inherent difficulties in scoring touchdowns in the red zone.For one thing, everything gets compressed inside the 20. The field cant be stretched vertically, and that makes it easier to cover pass routes underneath, or stack up the line of scrimmage against the run.Defenses also tend to sharpen their focus, knowing their backs are against the wall. Or at least the goal line. And that makes everything from blocking to catching require just a bit more precision.Everything has to be on point, Reid said, and its got to be a little faster in there. We need to do a better job there, and I need to do a better job of putting guys in position.The Chiefs are scoring touchdowns on just 46.3 percent of trips inside the 20, which is tied for 27th in the NFL. By comparison, the Titans lead the league with a 71.4 percent conversion rate.While Reid seemingly has been trying in vain to find the source of the Chiefs red-zone ills, Titans coach Mike Mulaarkey knows exactly where to give credit for Tennessees success.ddddddddddddI think it starts with Marcus, Mularkey said, referring to second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota, who has thrown 32 touchdown passes without a red-zone interception in his career.I think a lot of it is because of his thought process, how quickly he thinks down there, Mularkey continued. He has a very quick release and theres not a lot of room for error down there, a lot of tight windows, and I think hes been very good with that.Mularkey also credited offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie and his other assistants for dreaming up a set of plays that always seem to work in those high-pressure, razor-thin confines.Theyve taken a lot of time and spent a lot of energy on those areas, he said.Now, it would be foolish to think the Chiefs dont put similar emphasis on those scoring situations, especially given their struggles early in the season. During one two-week stretch, which included a brutal 19-17 loss to Tampa Bay, they managed just one touchdown on five trips inside the 20.The low point may have come when Smith tossed an interception in the end zone against the Buccaneers, and Jameis Winston and Co. marched the length of the field for a touchdown that sealed the outcome.Especially down the stretch, I think those things only become more magnified, Smith said. They become more important as the games get bigger and bigger. No question.Hard for games to get any bigger these days.The Chiefs are 10-3 and tied atop the AFC West with Oakland, but have the tiebreaker thanks to their two wins over the Raiders. Winning out would ensure Kansas City a first-round bye in the playoffs, and at least some level of homefield advantage for the playoffs.You know, its always tough though too this late in the season with the work week and stuff, Smith said. You only get so many opportunities. Obviously, youre trying to take care of guys bodies and get guys back out there, but no question. Its a huge priority.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '