Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Kevin Mench had three hits, including a homer, drove in three runs and scored four times in Milwaukee's 12-3 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bill Hall had four RBI and Corey Hart also homered and knocked in two runs for the Brewers, who remained within 1 1/2 games of the Chicago Cubs for the top spot in the NL Central. The Cubs edged Houston, 4-3, earlier Saturday.

Johnny Estrada had three hits and two RBI for Milwaukee, which is on the verge of a three-game sweep. Prince Fielder recorded three hits and scored twice.

Dave Bush (11-9) gave up four hits and a run through six innings for the victory.

Shane Youman (3-5) was touched for seven hits and eight runs through two-plus innings for the Pirates, who have dropped four in a row.

Freddy Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI for Pittsburgh, and his run- scoring double gave the Pirates an early lead in the first. However, the Brewers struck for five runs in the second and three more in the third.

Fielder and Hart walked before Mench singled to load the bases in the second with nobody out. Estrada then singled to left-center field to plate two runners. Hall followed with a two-run double and J.J. Hardy singled in a run later in the inning.

Mench doubled in two more in the third and Hall added a sacrifice fly. Hall continued the onslaught with an RBI single in the fifth for a 9-1 margin.

"We simply got pitched out of the game early on," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "When you've walked people in front of bloop hits, it's going to correlate to runs."

Sanchez singled in Nyjer Morgan in the seventh, but back-to-back homers by Hart and Mench in the bottom of the frame stamped Milwaukee's victory. Fielder doubled prior to Hart's homer to center. Mench followed with his seventh of the year.

Jack Wilson scored on a Jose Bautista fielder's choice in the ninth.

Hall also made a diving catch on a ball hit by Steven Pearce in the first inning, saving two runs.

"I don't want to say it inspired us, but it got everybody fired up big time," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "I thought Billy had no chance at catching the ball."