PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates have won eight games in a row, and fans are starting to notice. Lionel Messi Jersey . After all, the Pirates own the best record in all of baseball. Pittsburgh beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Saturday night in front of its fifth straight sellout crowd at home. The Pirates have never had that many consecutive capacity crowds since moving into their new ballpark in 2001. Long the third-most popular team in a three-team town behind the NFLs Steelers and NHLs Penguins, the Pirates are suddenly becoming a hot ticket. "The energy of the crowds has been unbelievable and weve been soaking it all up," said Pirates closer Jason Grilli, who earned the save. "You absorb it and try to use it to your advantage. Were playing for ourselves but were also playing for about 40,000 people in the stands and an entire city. "People are dusting off their Pirates shirts and coming out in droves, and were trying to give them what they want to see." Pedro Alvarez and Garrett Jones homered, and Francisco Liriano pitched six strong innings to lead the surging Pirates. Alvarez hit his 20th home run with one out in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and help the Pirates to their longest winning streak since 2004. Pittsburgh, which has endured 20 consecutive losing seasons, is a major league-best 50-30. Jones hit a drive to the shrubbery in straightaway centre field, his seventh homer, to lead off the fourth inning and increase the Pirates lead to 2-0. That was enough for Liriano (7-3), who improved to 4-1 in five home starts this season. "Were having fun, were playing hard and were giving everything we have," Liriano said. Liriano gave up one run and seven hits in six innings with one walk and six strikeouts. Tony Watson, Mark Melancon and Grilli each pitched one scoreless inning of relief. Grilli recorded his 27th save in 28 opportunities. "Frankie, for as efficient as he was in giving up one run, there were only about six or seven sequences where he threw back-to-back strikes," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "But when he needed to make a pitch, he made a pitch." Grilli was pitching for the first time in six days after having his worst outing of the season. He gave up three runs against the Los Angeles Angels in a non-save situation last Sunday before the Pirates held on for a 10-9 win. "Hes our guy," Hurdle said. "He was well-rested and I wasnt the least bit nervous about going to him." Donovan Hand (0-1) allowed both home runs but turned in a solid five-inning performance in his second major league start. Hand was pleased with his outing, except for the home run to Alvarez that cleared the right-field stands, hit a tree and bounced into the Allegheny River. "I tried to go up and in and left a fat pitch over the middle in his hot zone, and he crushed it," said Hand, who pitched 4 2-3 scoreless innings in his first start June 28 against Atlanta. "I was aggressive, which is exactly what I wanted to do, just building off of the last start because they swing it a lot." Hand has made a good impression on Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. "I thought Donny threw the ball really well," Roenicke said. "He understands how to pitch. He understands how to throw strikes." Carlos Gomez had two hits for the Brewers, who lost their fifth straight game. He singled with one out in the sixth inning and scored Milwaukees run on Yuniesky Betancourts single with two outs. Brewers shortstop Jean Segura extended his hitting streak to 11 games, but second baseman Rickie Weeks run ended at a career-best 13 games. Pittsburgh has won four straight games against Milwaukee and eight of 10 after losing nine in a row. "Were playing good baseball," Hurdle said. "Its nice to get to 50 wins but were just trying to meet the demands of the game, honestly self-evaluate and get better every day. There is still a long way to go." NOTES: Milwaukee LF Ryan Braun (bruised left thumb) is scheduled to a swing a bat Tuesday for the first time since going on the disabled list, retroactive to June 10. ... Pittsburgh LHP Wandy Rodriguez (strained left forearm) wont make a scheduled rehab start Monday for Triple-A Indianapolis after experiencing discomfort in his forearm Friday during a bullpen session. ... Pirates RHP A.J. Burnett (strained right calf) is scheduled to pitch a simulated game Tuesday. That could be the last step before he is activated from the disabled list. ... Brewers RF Norichika Aoki didnt start for the first time since May 30 as Roenicke decided to rest him. Aoki pinch-hit in the ninth inning and flied out. ... The three-game series concludes Sunday with Milwaukee RHP Kyle Lohse (3-6, 3.69) facing Pittsburgh RHP Charlie Morton (1-1, 2.81). Franco Armani Argentina Jersey . The All Blacks played their best rugby of recent years when they beat South Africa 38-27 in Johannesburg two weeks ago, clinching the Rugby Championships in a match which has been hailed as one of the best ever played. Argentina World Cup Jerseys . Two-time Olympic bronze medallists Savchenko and Szolkowy received 79.02 points to finish ahead of world bronze medallists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada, who had 77.01 points. http://www.argentinasoccerauthentic.com/Javier-Mascherano-Copa-America-Jersey/ . Rajne Soderberg, the director of the Stockholm Diamond League event, said in an email Friday that the ban still holds. Euromeetings, the organization representing Europes top track events, "will continue to recommend that members do not invite athletes who we believe cause disrepute to our meetings and our sport.East Rutherford, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) - Ben Roethlisberger carved up the Indianapolis Colts secondary last week. Eli Manning didnt have as much luck. Andrew Luck tossed three of his four touchdown passes in the third quarter, Manning completed just 12 of his first 29 throws and the Colts cruised to a 40-24 win over the New York Giants on Monday night. The Colts struggled mightily once Vontae Davis exited last Sundays game with a knee injury, surrendering 522 yards and six touchdowns to Big Ben en route to a 51-34 defeat. With the physical corner back in the lineup, however, Manning struggled to find open targets. Manning finished 27-of-52 with most of his 359 yards coming with the game already decided in the fourth quarter. Both of his TD passes came in the final frame. We got that bad taste out of our mouths the way we lost that last game, Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. Luck added to his NFL-leading passing yardage total and tallied his franchise-record seventh straight 300-yard game with 354 on 25-of-46 efficiency for Indianapolis (6-3), which has won six of its last seven games since an 0-2 start. It was great to get back in the win column after a tough one last week, Luck said. T.Y. Hilton hauled in three passes for 71 yards and a touchdown, Reggie Wayne posted four receptions for 70 yards and a score and Dwayne Allen had four catches for 48 yards and a score in the triumph. First-round rookie Odell Beckham tallied eight receptions for 156 yards for the Giants (3-5), who have dropped three in a row on the heels of a three-game winning streak. The Colts led 16-3 at the break, but put the game out of reach in the third. Hilton came down with a jump ball in the right part of the end zone against Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on the Colts opening touch of the frame to make it 23-3. Rodgers-Cromartie high pointed the pass, but Hiltonn wrestled it away from him as the two were coming down to the ground to complete the 31-yard TD reception. Marcos Acuna Jersey. Beckhams 59-yard catch and run led to an Andre Williams 1-yard TD plunge on New Yorks ensuing touch, but the Colts closed the frame with two more touchdowns. Wayne hauled in a post corner along the left sideline and broke free from Giants cornerback Jayron Hosley en route to a 40-yard touchdown. After Colts safety Sergio Brown recovered a Manning fumble forced by linebacker Jonathan Newsome, Luck flipped a 2-yard TD pass to Allen two plays later to make it 37-10. Adam Vinatieri booted a 43-yard field goal early in the fourth before Larry Donnell and Corey Washington caught TD passes in garbage time to cap the scoring. Earlier, former Giant Hakeem Nicks hauled in a 22-yard completion on a deep cross, which led to a Vinatieri 48-yard field goal to open the scoring midway through the first, and consecutive receptions by Coby Fleener made it 10-0. Fleener caught a pass along the left sideline for 21 yards and following a quick snap -- it appeared Fleener may have been bobbling the catch -- he was left free along the right sideline and strolled in for an easy 32-yard score. Josh Brown and Vinatieri traded field goals of 38 and 31 yards, respectively, late in the second, and another Vinatieri boot right before the half, this one from 48 yards, staked Indy to its 16-3 halftime advantage. Game Notes Luck leads the NFL with 3,085 passing yards ... Another former Giant, Ahmad Bradshaw, carried the ball seven times for 50 yards ... The Colts were 5-of-15 on third down, while New York finished 4-of-16 ... Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara exited the game with a torn biceps ... Giants Hall of Famer Michael Strahan was honored at halftime ... Vinatieri is 20-for-20 on field-goal attempts this year. ' ' '