Khristian Curtis gave the Pirates something they can actually build on Thursday night.
Six days after getting sped up at Wrigley Field and surrendering six earned runs in three innings against the Cubs, the rookie right-hander settled in at PNC Park and looked far more composed in Pittsburgh’s 5-4 win over the Brewers. Curtis worked 3 1/3 innings, allowed one run, struck out three and picked up his second win, a much cleaner follow-up to the rough outing that came before it.
“Last week happened,” Curtis said. “The next game is what matters the most, the next opportunity you get.
You have to able to rinse it off and have a fresh mind every day. View it as a new opportunity every day to get better.”
That kind of reset matters for Curtis because the Pirates still don’t quite know what they have. He was a 12th-round pick, but he also stands out physically at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds and came into pro ball with pure stuff that made him interesting despite average college numbers. He opened his big league career with a 1.64 ERA across his first 11 innings, though his Triple-A Indianapolis numbers this season sit at a 5.18 ERA.
Thursday looked like the version Pittsburgh wants to keep seeing. Curtis produced seven whiffs, allowed only two hard-hit balls and leaned heavily on his cutter, which he used 44% of the time after throwing it 30% on the season. He threw 37 of 61 pitches for strikes, including nine of 14 first-pitch strikes.
“He threw strikes,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said of Curtis, who fired 37 of 61 pitches (61%) for strikes, including nine of 14 first-pitch strikes. “The command was really good. I thought the cutter was good in on the lefties.”
That kind of outing is the path forward if Curtis wants to stay in the conversation for 2027, when the Pirates will be sorting through the rotation, the bullpen and who fits where. Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft, Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler are staying in the picture -- though there’s still news coming on Ashcraft -- and Mitch Keller feels like the safest bet to be around then, even if the results have to improve. The Pirates also need to add to the group through trade or free agency.
After that, the auditions begin. Curtis is in that mix, along with Wilber Dotel, Antwone Kelly and others. With nine games left, every sharp outing counts.
“It’s the mental game and being able to have a short memory,” Curtis said.
The biggest burst of the night came in the second inning, when the Pirates sent 11 batters to the plate and scored all five of their runs with two outs. That rally came against Kyle Harrison, who had been dominant against Pittsburgh before Thursday, carrying 17 scoreless innings with two walks and 29 strikeouts over three career starts. This time, the Pirates broke through in a big way.
“I thought we had a really good approach against him [Thursday],” Don Kelly said.
Eight straight Pirates reached with two outs, the first time Pittsburgh has done that in any inning since April 28, 2017, at Miami. The rally included three hits, two walks, two hit batters and catcher’s interference.
There was also more to track at catcher. Rafael Flores Jr.’s 10-game hitting streak ended on a day when he had hit .421 during the streak and had eight of his nine homers in 29 games since Aug.
- Then Henry Davis answered with a blast of his own, crushing a two-run homer in the eighth that traveled 423 feet at 110.2 mph.
It was another reminder of the adjustments Davis has been trying to make with his right hip.
The Pirates still need more than Davis’ .167 average and .568 OPS, and Flores has earned the extra playing time he’s been getting because of the way he’s hit. How the team sorts that out over the rest of the season is another question.
Behind the plate, the umpiring crew had a long night. The Pirates and Brewers combined to go nine for 11 on challenges, with Pittsburgh winning six of seven, its most successful challenge total in a game this season.
Thursday also added another layer to a season that has been equal parts encouraging and aggravating. The Pirates clinched the season series over the Brewers for the first time since 2018, winning it 7-6, even as they sit on the edge of playoff elimination. The frustration is obvious, but so is the glimpse of a team that could have been more if not for injuries, a rough bullpen stretch, not enough from $12 million signee Marcell Ozuna and other setbacks.
The bullpen, at least, has been one of the brighter spots lately. Since the All-Star break, the Pirates lead all of baseball in bullpen wins above replacement at 4.5, while allowing the fewest home runs (12), posting the third-most strikeouts (252) and finishing with the second-best FIP at 3.17. Mason Montgomery has been especially sharp, and Konnor Griffin said the confidence is obvious when he enters the game.
“When he comes running in, it's a good feeling knowing we've got our guy on the mound,” Konnor Griffin said of Montgomery. “I think everybody's confident that he's our guy to go get three outs and win a game.”
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Pirates Make Desperate Lineup Bet To Avoid Brewers Sweep
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It is the kind of lineup bet teams make when a series is slipping away and the opposing starter already has the upper hand. Pittsburgh has leaned on platoon thinking and a few personnel tweaks to give itself a better look against Harrison, with the goal of avoiding a sweep and getting something going before the day is over. [Read more 🡒]