Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - The Brewers hitched their wagon to CC Sabathia and the burly left-hander came through with seven gutty innings to lead Milwaukee to a 4-2 victory over Pittsburgh in the middle contest of a three-game set.

Sabathia (10-2), throwing on three days' rest in his second straight outing, labored through 107 pitches but allowed just a run on four hits and two walks while fanning 11 for the Brewers, who pulled into a tie with the Mets for the lead in the NL wild card race. New York lost to Chicago, 9-6, in 10 innings on Wednesday.

Prince Fielder scored twice and knocked in a run for Milwaukee, which won its third straight game despite recording a mere two hits.

Paul Maholm (9-9), making his career-high 31st start of the season, yielded just two hits but walked six en route to giving up four runs -- three earned -- in six innings for the Pirates, who have dropped five of six. Adam LaRoche homered for Pittsburgh, which has dropped 11 straight to Milwaukee.

Maholm faced the minimum through three before the wheels fell off in the fourth. The Brewers loaded the bases after Fielder's one-out RBI single, and consecutive two-out free passes to Rickie Weeks and Jason Kendall pushed Milwaukee ahead, 3-1.

"I thought [Maholm] was throwing the ball real well," Pirates manager John Russell said. "He had that one inning when he stumbled. It's unfortunate."

The Pirates gift-wrapped an insurance run in the sixth, as LaRoche's fielding error allowed Fielder to reach second. J.J. Hardy sacrificed the runner to third and Corey Hart flied out deep enough to center to score a run.

The Brewers' pitching staff retired 13 straight before LaRoche's solo homer off Salomon Torres in the ninth, as the closer got the final two outs to finish off his 28th save of the season.

Sabathia loaded the bases in the first inning but fanned LaRoche and Steve Pearce to end the threat.

"I just wanted to make pitches early," Sabathia said. "And when they got some guys on base I made them when I needed to. I felt a lot better about my delivery. Right now pretty much every game is a playoff game. We get hot and cold, and right now, we're hot."

The lefty settled down after his 28-pitch opening frame, surrendering only one tally on Jason Michaels' run-scoring single in the third.