Pirates Drop 2024 Home Finale to Brewers
The Pittsburgh Pirates fell to the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday afternoon, 5-2, bringing the home portion of this year's schedule to a close.
Mitch Keller was up and down in his final start of the season, which is pretty on par with how his 2024 campaign went. In the bottom of the third, he allowed a leadoff triple to Joey Ortiz but limited the damage to just one run, an RBI groundout to first by Brice Turang.
He did, however, run into a bit of trouble in the fifth giving up a pair of runs on three hits, two of which were doubles. After getting Willy Adames to fly out to end the inning, manager Derek Shelton turned it over to Ryan Borucki. The lefty didn't stay in the game for long as he surrendered two straight doubles to start the sixth. He did manage to get Sal Frelick to fly out before being yanked for Colin Holderman. Ortiz continued the parade of doubles, scoring Bryce Perkins to stretch the lead out to 5-0.
In the bottom half of the seventh, Bryan De La Cruz went opposite fielding, smacking a two-run homer over the Clemente Wall off of former Bucco, Nick Mears. That would be the Pirates' only offense of the afternoon, making for a not-so-entertaining final game at PNC Park.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES
1. 3B Isiah Kiner-Falefa 1-4, 2B
2. LF Bryan Reynolds 1-3 RBI, BB
3. CF Oneil Cruz 0-4
4. DH Andrew McCutchen 0-4
5. C Joey Bart 0-4
6. 2B Nick Gonzales 2-2 2B, 2 BB
7. RF Bryan De La Cruz 1-4 HR, 2 RBI
8. 1B Jared Triolo 0-4
9. SS Liover Peguero 0-3
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
1. 2B Brice Turang 1-5, 2 RBI
2. DH William Contreras 0-3
PH Gary Sanchez 2-2
3. RF Garrett Mitchell 0-3, BB
PH Jackson Chourio 1-1
4. SS Willy Adames 1-5
5. 1B Jake Bauers 1-2
PH Rhys Hoskins 1-3, 2B
6. CF Bryce Perkins 2-4 2B, RBI, BB
7. LF Sal Frelick 1-3, 2B
8. 3B Joey Ortiz 3-3 2B, RBI
9. C Eric Haase 1-4 2B, RBI
The Pirates will now travel to New York to start the final series of the season against the Yankees. Jared Jones (6-8, 4.14 ERA) is scheduled to face Carlos Rodon (16-9, 3.98 ERA) in game one. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. EST and can be streamed on ESPN+.
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN