The Pirates are taking a bullpen-first route Tuesday night at PNC Park, and the assignment could hardly be tougher.
Pittsburgh opens a three-game set against Milwaukee with right-hander Lake Bachar on the mound as the opener for the 6:40 p.m. first pitch. Bachar, usually a multi-inning reliever, has started nine of his 48 games this season and owns a 3.52 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP in those starts. The expectation is that he won’t be asked to go deep, with the Pirates planning to lean on their bullpen for most of the innings.
That approach has to survive a Brewers lineup that can clinch the National League Central with a win, plus a Chicago Cubs loss in Atlanta.
Waiting on the other side is Jacob Misiorowski, and the numbers tell the whole story. The 24-year-old right-hander is the heavy favorite for the National League Cy Young Award after going 14-5 with a 1.95 ERA and 236 strikeouts in 161 1/3 innings. His 0.80 WHIP is elite on its own, but the eye-popping figure is the .156 batting average against him, a number that would rank among the lowest ever for a qualified starter over a full season.
Misiorowski’s dominance starts with velocity. He has been the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in Major League Baseball this year, living in the triple digits and pairing that heat with a slider that regularly shows up in the upper 90s. He struck out nine in his most recent outing against the Cubs on Sept. 8, and Milwaukee has ridden that run to the top of the division.
Pittsburgh has built its lineup to at least give itself a chance against that kind of arm. Konnor Griffin is at shortstop and leading off, followed by Brandon Lowe at second and Bryan Reynolds in right field. Oneil Cruz is in center, Nick Gonzales is at third, Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter, Rafael Flores Jr. is behind the plate, Spencer Horwitz is at first, and Jake Mangum is in left.
The idea is clear: put as many bat-on-ball hitters out there as possible and try to disrupt Misiorowski any way they can. Cruz, Reynolds, and Lowe give Pittsburgh its best blend of contact and power, while Griffin’s speed at the top could matter if he reaches. Still, getting anything clean against a pitcher allowing just .156 at the plate is a different level of challenge.
The Pirates come in at 75-75 and have stayed competitive over the last several weeks even as their postseason chances have slipped away. Milwaukee, meanwhile, has everything in front of it tonight: one win, plus a Cubs loss to the Braves, and the division title is theirs.
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Pirates Own Up To A Costly Mistake Fans Wont Forget
A quiet but damaging moment in the Pirates game against the Brewers came on the bases, where a chance to add to the board vanished because of a routing mistake involving Nick Gonzales and Ryan OHearn. Third base coach Tony Beasley later took responsibility, saying he did not see the ball clearly and told Gonzales to hold at third, turning what should have been a live scoring opportunity into an avoidable pause in the action.
For a Pirates club that has spent plenty of time searching for clean execution, these are the kinds of plays that linger because they are so fixable. Gonzales said he simply followed the instruction he was given, which puts the focus squarely on the coaching box and leaves the larger question hanging around a team that cannot afford to give away chances like that, especially in a tight game against Milwaukee. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Had No Margin For Error Against Milwaukee After One Costly Mistake
Jacob Misiorowski kept the Pirates off balance for five scoreless innings, and the margin for Pittsburgh never really got any wider after that. Milwaukees starter lowered his season ERA to 1.89 and picked up his 15th win of the year, while the Pirates scratched out just five hits and spent most of the night trying to recover from a game that slipped further away in the fourth inning.
Pittsburgh finally got on the board in the eighth, but by then the damage was done. A baserunning error earlier in the game helped stall any early momentum, and against a Brewers club that kept adding pressure, the Pirates were left with too little room to work with in a 5-1 loss. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Face A Real Brandon Lowe Test They Usually Avoid
Brandon Lowe has given the Pirates exactly the kind of midseason jolt they hoped for when they brought him in through last offseasons three-team trade. He has been one of the most productive hitters on the roster, piling up 30 home runs and carrying an .803 OPS while giving Pittsburgh a proven presence in the middle of the lineup.
Now the question is what comes after the season, because Lowe is headed for free agency and the Pirates may have to decide whether to extend a qualifying offer. Even if they do, he is widely expected to pass on it, and the bigger issue may be whether the sides can bridge a gap in contract philosophy, with Lowe reportedly looking for a multi-year deal while Pittsburgh usually prefers shorter commitments. [Read more 🡒]