PITTSBURGH -- With the Pirates' postseason chances all but erased, there’s still one accomplishment to hang their hat on.
The Brewers are baseball’s best team, on their way to 95-plus wins for the second consecutive year. They are among the favorites to take home the Commissioner’s Trophy. However, Pittsburgh has held its own against the Brew Crew.
The Pirates defeated Milwaukee, 7-4, on Thursday afternoon at PNC Park to clinch the season series. Pittsburgh hadn’t won the season series with the Brewers since 2018, when they went 12-7. The sides split the season series in 2020, 5-5.
“They obviously won the division, and I think it's something that we're trying to get there,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “As we continue to compete against them and continue to get better, we need to find ways to do that. I thought we played well against them over the course of the year. They're a really tough team.”
Pittsburgh is the only NL Central team with a winning record against Milwaukee, joining the Giants, Padres, Nationals, Athletics, Red Sox and Tigers. The turnaround has been significant, with the Pirates going from 3-10 against the Brewers last season to winning this year's series, 7-6.
The Bucs put themselves in position to win the season series before the All-Star break, when they led, 5-1, after a series sweep at home. The Pirates added a victory on the day of the Trade Deadline, Aug. 3, but then dropped three straight in the four-game set.
Milwaukee won Tuesday's series opener to clinch its fourth straight division title, celebrating with champagne in the visiting clubhouse as Pittsburgh sat on the brink of elimination.
“I think it's a big deal,” closer Mason Montgomery said of beating Milwaukee. “They're a team that's clinched. They're a really good team. We're just trying to take it one day at a time. So I think each win is huge.”
After another Milwaukee win Wednesday night that evened the season series at 6-all, Pittsburgh jumped on Brewers starter Kyle Harrison in the second inning Thursday. Harrison recorded the first two outs, but the Pirates loaded the bases with a walk, single and catcher’s interference.
Konnor Griffin then drove in two with a double to left, and Oneil Cruz scored two more with a single. Brandon Lowe was hit by a pitch in his second at-bat of the inning to score a fifth run, giving the Pirates a comfortable 5-1 lead.
Down two starting pitchers for the rest of the season, Pittsburgh pieced together another bullpen game. Wilber Dotel allowed one run in two innings before the Pirates turned to Khristian Curtis, who rebounded from a rough outing at Wrigley Field. Curtis tossed 3 1/3 innings before giving way to the rest of the bullpen through the late innings. Henry Davis added insurance in the eighth with a two-run homer.
Milwaukee’s operation is one that Pittsburgh can take inspiration from. The Brewers rank 19th in payroll in MLB but have the most victories. The Pirates rank 24th in payroll and are middle-of-the-pack in wins. It’s a collective effort with young, developed talent. Pittsburgh has shown flashes of progress in 2026, but it hasn't yet developed the consistency Milwaukee has.
“I think that any team that has success like they've had success, other teams are definitely looking at what they're doing as far as what is leading to that,” Kelly said Monday. “Because they haven't spent the money that the Dodgers have or whatever. Money doesn't always buy wins or championships. It's a game that we're playing. You have to go out there and play good baseball, and the Brewers have done that consistently over the last few years.”
Thursday's victory, along with six others over Milwaukee this season, is a stepping stone. There’s a long way to go, but Pittsburgh has the blueprint to follow.
“We've had a lot of really good things happen this year for our team, and we've got to take the positives, take the little wins like that, and use them to keep us going next year,” Griffin said.