Pirates Edge Brewers 2-1 with Late Heroics from Oneil Cruz

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 Saturday afternoon at PNC Park, thanks to a go-ahead triple from Oneil Cruz in the seventh inning.

After struggling earlier in the season, Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller had an impressive showing, recording seven strikeouts and allowing just one run on seven hits over six innings. Keller’s record improved to 1-6, and he became the all-time strikeouts leader at PNC Park as a Pirates pitcher, surpassing previous leaders.

“Mitch pitched really well, deserved the win himself,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He focused on controlling what he can and helped us get the win.”

The Pirates took an early lead in the first inning when Bryan Reynolds singled and scored from second base on a double by Spencer Horwitz. However, the Pirates struggled with run support, consistently averaging only 2.17 runs per game in Keller’s starts.

The Brewers managed to tie the game in the second inning. Christian Yelich led off with a single, advanced to second on a steal, and then scored on Caleb Durbin‘s single to center field. Both teams remained locked in a tight battle until Cruz’s big moment in the seventh.

With the game tied at 1-1, Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached base and advanced to second on a balk. Cruz, responding to encouragement from a young fan, drove a line drive triple to the right-center wall, scoring Kiner-Falefa and giving the Pirates a 2-1 edge.

“I took it like a challenge from the kid, and I couldn’t let him down,” Cruz said. “It makes me proud that someone wants to be like me.”

In the ninth, Brewers catcher Durbin reached base after being hit by a pitch from David Bednar, who later secured his fifth save of the season by inducing a game-ending double play.

“We battled hard, but we left too many runners on,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We need to capitalize on opportunities to win those close games.”

This victory marks the Pirates’ second consecutive win, reflecting their improved performance under Kelly’s management.