PITTSBURGH -- Facing the top team in the NL Central, the Brewers (59-37) presented an opportunity for the Pirates to showcase that they belong. Pittsburgh likely would’ve been content with a series win. But after a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, the Bucs were confident entering Sunday.
The Pirates (50-47) defeated the Brewers 14-5 to sweep the division leaders and enter the All-Star break three games over the .500 mark -- their best record at the break since 2016. Pittsburgh rallied for 10 runs in the fourth inning as each player in the lineup scored. It’s the first time since 2022 that the Pirates swept the Brewers, and Pittsburgh is 5-1 against Milwaukee in 2026.
With another trip to the Midsummer Classic en route, Paul Skenes started off strong by retiring the first nine batters in order. He worked through the first two innings on just 17 pitches, inducing weak contact and topping out at 97.3 mph.
Skenes remains one of the game’s best starting pitchers, bouncing back from a nine-game winless streak with two earned runs in six innings against the Braves on Tuesday in a blowout win. Before that, Skenes posted the worst start of his career, allowing seven earned runs against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, where he’ll travel for the All-Star Game this week.
Skenes is the fourth MLB pitcher to start their career with three consecutive All-Star nods, joining Tom Seaver, Doc Gooden and Yu Darvish. This is the best Pirates team Skenes has played on, and they gave him a four-run cushion in the second inning as Henry Davis homered.
Christian Yelich broke up Skenes’ perfect game in the fourth with a double to left field. Jackson Chourio followed with a double to right-center, cutting into the deficit. Chourio came around on a fielder’s choice, but Skenes and the Pirates’ offense was still heavily in control.
Pittsburgh added on 10 runs in the fourth as Skenes looked on from the dugout. The 36-minute frame resulted in a 12-run lead, and Skenes popped back out and fanned two more batters. He exited after 5 1/3 innings and 82 pitches with two earned runs and a massive lead.
Milwaukee chipped away in the final innings, but the Pirates proved they were too much to handle and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with come the second half.