Joey Ortiz had one of his best nights of the season Tuesday, and it came at the right time for the Milwaukee Brewers.
The shortstop finished 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Milwaukee’s 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. His two-run single to left in the sixth inning brought home Christian Yelich and Luis Lara and pushed the Brewers ahead 5-0. The victory moved Milwaukee to 94-57, and Jacob Misiorowski picked up the win after throwing five scoreless innings.
Later Tuesday, the Atlanta Braves beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3, and that result officially sent the Brewers to their fourth straight National League Central title.
After the game, Ortiz spoke in a postgame video posted by MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and pointed to both his faith and the guidance of clubhouse manager Jason Shawger as reasons he stayed steady through the rough patches this season.
“It feels great,” Ortiz said. “I give glory to God.
And I try not to think about my own personal stats. That’s all I care about, winning ballgames.
And it feels good to be able to contribute.”
Ortiz’s path this year hasn’t been smooth. Milwaukee acquired him from the Baltimore Orioles in February 2024 in the Corbin Burnes trade, and in 2025 he hit .231 with seven home runs, 45 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 148 games.
The Brewers also promoted shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt from Triple-A Nashville in June, and Ortiz shifted into the short side of a platoon with David Hamilton, RotoWire reported. Then on July 7, Ortiz went 5-for-9 with a double, a home run and two RBI in a doubleheader sweep of the St.
Louis Cardinals, and Hamilton landed on the injured list with a hamstring injury that same day.
Ortiz said the challenge was staying simple when things weren’t going his way.
“I believe that God gave me the ability to be here and compete,” Ortiz said. “So when you’re not playing well, you just got to keep your head up, keep attacking it day by day and kind of just simplify things. Don’t overthink, don’t try and do too much.”
“I think the big thing is just taking days, day by day,” Ortiz continued. “Don’t look to the end of the season because it’s such a long season, anything can happen.”
He also credited Shawger, who runs the Brewers’ clubhouse, for keeping him grounded.
“Actually, Shawger gives me good advice too,” Ortiz said. “It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish. We’re coming up to the end here.”
Ortiz’s average climbed to .270 after Tuesday’s performance. The double was his 14th of the season, and the two RBI gave him 46.
Milwaukee finishes its series in Pittsburgh on Thursday before opening a three-game set Friday at Baltimore, Ortiz’s first organization.
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