Andy Starnes, Post-Gazette Jose Castillo hits a two-run homer last night against the Brewers. Castillo has homered in five consecutive games for the Pirates. Click photo for larger image. Today Matchup: Pirates Brewers (Bush 3-5) vs. Pirates (Maholm 2-4), 12:35 p.m. Where: PNC Park TV/Radio: None/KDKA-AM (1020) and Pirates Radio Network. Related articles Pirates Notebook: Sanchez chasing Cabrera for league lead Preview: Class of Clemente / Photo exhibit shows 'The Great One' in all his grace and glory Collier: A few harsh words from Tracy might not hurt Game Statistics Provided by Forecaster Pirates vs. Brewers box score Game play-by-play

There was a time, not terribly long ago, when these Pirates were squeezing their bats to sawdust.

When they approached the on-deck circle as if it were purgatory.

Now?

Perhaps third baseman Freddy Sanchez put it best: "Guys are tripping over themselves to get up there. It's an absolute blast."

It is several blasts on a daily basis, actually, as was the case again in the 6-1 body slam of the Milwaukee Brewers last night before 15,434 at PNC Park, a season-best third consecutive victory.

Jose Castillo hit yet another home run, extending his stretch of doing so to five games. He and Jason Bay, whose six-game run was snapped Monday, are the only Pirates with streaks as long as four since Barry Bonds had that many in 1987.

Sean Casey and Bay also went deep on back-to-back pitches from Milwaukee's Chris Capuano to open the fifth.

Those three home runs gave the Pirates 19 in the past eight games, making it all look quite contagious.

"I think it is," Bay said. "When everyone around you is hitting, you never go up there feeling like it's a do-or-die at-bat. That's when you see guys having good approaches, taking good swings."

"Oh, no question it's contagious," Casey said. "And it doesn't matter if you're facing the nastiest pitcher around when that happens."

Without a doubt, Capuano, the Brewers' ace, ranks among the nastiest. He entered the game ninth among National League starters with a 2.88 ERA and had not allowed any opponent more than three runs in his first 11 outings.

This time, he was chased after six runs in as many innings and 11 hits.

"This guy gives a lot of people a tough time," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "At the same time, whoever we're facing, if our approach to our offensive game stays the way it is, and we make sure we're swinging at strikes, we're going to keep doing this."

That might not be easy, considering the Pirates have outscored the Brewers, 32-5, in taking the first three games of this series, with a total of 47 hits. Over the past 11, they have 80 runs, a .323 average and 24 home runs.

Before that, their team average was .248.

"Night and day," Sanchez said.

The offense has come from all over, too. Even starter Ian Snell weighed in last night with his first major-league hit, an RBI single in the fifth.

But the focus the past two nights has been at the bottom.

Sanchez had three hits, Castillo two, and each had a streak of seven hits in as many at-bats until those ended in the seventh. Ronny Paulino had an RBI single, too.

"We've talked a lot about the middle of our order," Tracy said. "But it's great to see what those 6-7-8 guys are doing."

Sanchez led off the second with a single, and Castillo drove a Capuano fastball into the seats in right-center field. It was Castillo's eighth home run, his sixth during his five-game streak.

That duo also sparked the Pirates to a 3-0 lead in the fourth. After one out, Sanchez and Castillo singled, and Paulino brought home the former with a looper into left.

Casey started the fifth by lifting a Capuano curve over the Clemente Wall for his third home run, and Bay rammed a first-pitch fastball -- one Capuano had intended to go outside but ran over the plate -- into the bullpen beyond center for his 17th.

Buried in another scoring avalanche was another solid pitching performance.

Snell improved his staff-best record to 5-3 with his third victory in as many starts, limiting Milwaukee to one run on three hits over six innings and retiring 13 in a row at one point.

Tracy described Snell's 96-mph fastball as "jumping in the strike zone" and praised his use of the curveball and changeup for key outs.

Snell had been dissatisfied after allowing five runs in each of his two previous starts and needing many of the 21 runs he received in support.

"I finally let my team make plays in the field and stopped trying to do it all myself," he said.

To be sure, the Pirates' climb back to any semblance of contention remains daunting. They are 19-34 and 15 games out of first place.

At the same time, a positive sentiment seems to be growing.

"It does feel good. It does feel like it's coming together," shortstop Jack Wilson said. "And, hey, this is what it takes. You have to win. The only way we're going to turn this season around is to win and, hopefully, this is a start."

This afternoon, the Pirates can go for their first four-game sweep since July 2-4, 2004, when they took out the Brewers at PNC Park. They have not swept any series three games or longer since July 23-25 of that month.