Kyle Harrison’s latest outing is another strong sign that he won’t be part of the postseason picture.
The Brewers left-hander was able to navigate the first inning and a half in Pittsburgh on Sunday, but once the second inning arrived, everything unraveled. Harrison gave up three hits, two walks, and hit two batters with two outs in the frame, and Pittsburgh piled up five runs before Milwaukee finally turned to the bullpen. By the time he was done, Harrison had allowed five runs, four of them earned.
That rough stretch has become the story of his season lately. Harrison came into his Aug. 31 start against the Cubs with a 2.79 ERA over 103 1/3 innings, but he now owns a 4.25 ERA across 112 1/3 innings.
Over his last four appearances, he has given up 24 runs, 21 earned, in just nine innings. The velocity remains, but the shape isn’t there, and with less than two weeks left before the postseason, it’s hard to see him making the roster.
Milwaukee still had chances to hang around, and the bullpen gave the club a real shot to do it.
The Brewers fell 7-4 in the series finale, but after Harrison’s exit, the relief corps covered the final 6 1/3 innings and allowed only a two-run homer in the eighth. Garrett Stallings was the headliner there, delivering another sharp outing in relief.
Milwaukee actually got on the board first. In the top of the second, Gary Sánchez, Sal Frelick, and David Hamilton strung together three straight singles to bring home a run and put the Brewers up 1-0.
Then came the inning that flipped the game.
After Harrison retired Brandon Lowe and Nick Gonzales to open the second, Ronny Simon walked, Jared Triolo reached on an infield single, and Bo Naylor’s catcher’s interference loaded the bases. From there, rookie Konnor Griffin drilled a two-run double, Oneil Cruz followed with a two-run single, and Pittsburgh was suddenly ahead 4-1.
Harrison then hit Bryan Reynolds, walked Rafael Flores Jr. to reload the bases, and hit Lowe to force in another run before Pat Murphy made the move to Chad Patrick. Patrick struck out Gonzales, but the damage had already landed.
From there, the game settled down until Milwaukee started poking holes in the deficit.
In the sixth, Joey Ortiz walked, Frelick singled, and Naylor reached on a forceout that should have been an inning-ending double play. Instead, Griffin threw the ball into the first-base dugout, allowing Ortiz to score and trimming the lead to 5-2.
The Brewers kept grinding in the eighth against Luke Weaver. Garrett Mitchell doubled, moved up on flyouts by Ortiz and Frelick, and scored before Naylor came through with a solo shot that barely cleared the 21-foot wall in right field.
A young Brewers fan appeared to possibly reach over trying to grab it, but unsuccessfully. After review, the call stood, and Milwaukee was suddenly within one at 5-4.
Cooper Pratt followed with a single up the middle, and Pirates manager Don Kelly went to Mason Montgomery. Montgomery walked Brice Turang but escaped the inning by striking out Luis Lara.
Milwaukee’s last real chance faded in the ninth. Aaron Ashby came in for Stallings and couldn’t hold the deficit, allowing a single and a Henry Davis homer that pushed Pittsburgh back in front by three. Andrew Vaughn drew a one-out walk in the ninth, but he was stranded there, and the Brewers were denied the sweep.
The final line on Harrison was ugly: 1 2/3 innings, five runs, four earned, four hits, two walks, two hit batters, and two strikeouts. The day also turned into a long one for home plate umpire James Hoye, who had nine overturned calls on 11 challenges.
There were some bright spots in the pitching line, though. Patrick went 1 1/3 innings with a walk and two strikeouts, JoJo Romero tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout, and Stallings continued his impressive run by working three scoreless innings from the fourth through the seventh, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out six. He has yet to allow a run over 14 major league innings this season.
Offensively, Milwaukee finished with nine hits and six walks, but Pittsburgh’s five-run second inning proved to be too much to erase. Frelick had the only multi-hit game for the Brewers, while Naylor, Turang, and Ortiz each reached base twice with a hit and a walk.
The Brewers head to Baltimore next, where they’ll try to put this one behind them. Dustin May is set to start Friday’s series opener, and the Orioles have not announced a starter yet, though Cade Povich is expected. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
In Other News...
Brewers Fans Get One Early Shot At October Before Tickets Open
The Brewers are giving fans a head start on planning for October, with tickets for the first round of the 2026 postseason set to go on sale to the general public Wednesday, Sept. 23 at noon CT. Wisconsin residents will get early access a day earlier, as Milwaukee opens the door first to the home crowd that has been living and dying with this team all summer.
Before those tickets hit the market, American Family Field will host a Rally for October on Sept. 22, a fan celebration built around player appearances, a watch party, merchandise sales and other activities. The postseason picture is still tied to the final regular-season standings, so the exact dates and opponent remain undecided, but the Brewers are already making sure the atmosphere around the ballpark feels a little like October has arrived. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Fan Stole The Show During Bo Naylors First Milwaukee Homer
Bo Naylors first Milwaukee home run at PNC Park ended up creating a bigger scene in the stands than it did on the field. A Brewers fan from Windsor, Ontario, Gavin Deblois, went after the ball in the seats but couldnt hang on to it, turning what should have been a simple souvenir grab into the kind of moment that immediately draws every camera in the park.
The home run still counted after an umpire review, and Deblois eventually got his cap back from a Pirates usher, so the night did not end empty-handed for the visiting Milwaukee supporter. Brewers broadcaster Josh Maurer also made a stop by the fans with a signed Division Champion cap, a nice consolation for a section that wound up getting nearly as much attention as the at-bat itself. [Read more 🡒]
Jacob Misiorowski Just Flipped One Brewers Doubt On Its Head
With the Brewers already locked into a fourth straight NL Central title and sitting atop the majors with 10 games left in the regular season, Jacob Misiorowski has become one of the defining reasons this year has felt different. The right-hander has gone from an intriguing talent to the staff ace, pairing two-time All-Star status with a Major League-best 1.89 ERA and 243 strikeouts, the kind of production that changes how a team is built and how opponents plan for it.
The shift has also forced a rethink from outside the organization. Keith Law publicly acknowledged he was wrong about Misiorowski's chances of succeeding as a starter, a notable admission for a pitcher whose rise has been hard to ignore all season. For Milwaukee, the bigger story is what comes next: a rotation headlined by a pitcher who has already turned skepticism into evidence, and is still adding to it with the postseason ahead. [Read more 🡒]