Oneil Cruz Gives Pirates Slim Win Over Brewers
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates needed someone to step up and center fielder Oneil Cruz did so once again, as they won 2-1 over the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park.
The Pirates have won back-to-back games, beating the Brewers 6-5 in extra innings on May 23, and have won four of their past five games, as they took the final two games vs. the Cincinnati Reds.
Pittsburgh improves to 19-34 overall and 13-15 at home, while Milwaukee drops to 25-28 overall and 10-18 on the road.
Right fielder Bryan Reynolds singled wth two outs in the bottom of the first inning and then first baseman Spencer Horwitz came through with a double, scoring Reynolds and giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
Spencer Horwitz RBI double! Bucs up 1-0 pic.twitter.com/7N0fmSDGmw
— SleeperPirates (@SleeperPirates) May 24, 2025
Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich reached first base on a single, after he hit ball that bounced off of Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller to leadoff the top of the second inning.
Keller struckout Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins and then got right fielder Sam Frelick to ground out, but Yelich would steal second base and then score off a single from third baseman Caleb Durbin, tying the game up at 1-1.
The Pirates got a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the second inning, as second baseman Adam Frazier singled with one out and catcher Henry Davis walked with two outs, but Cruz grounded out to end the inning.
Keller gave up just one hit over the next two innings, before allowing a one out double to Durbin in the top of the fifth inning.
He got left fielder Jake Bauers to fly out, but then allowed a single to shortstop Joey Ortiz, putting runners on the corners with two outs for Milwaukee.
Keller would get out of the inning unscathed, as he struckout Brewers second baseman Brice Turang.
Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio led off the top of the sixth inning with a single, but Keller struck out catcher William Contreras and Davis threw Chourio out, trying to steal second base.
Yelich would single, but Keller struckout Hoskins to end his outing after 92 pitches over six innings, with only one earned run allowed and seven strikeouts.
Left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson came in relief at the top of the seventh inning and allowed back-to-back singles to Frelick and Durbin.
He would get Bauers to ground into a fielder's choice, with Durbin out at second base, but then hit Ortiz, loading the bases.
Ferguson got Turang to ground right to Frazier, who threw Frelick out at home for the force out, but then Pirates manager Don Kelly brought in right-handed pitcher Chase Shugart.
The choice proved beneificial, as Shugart got Chourio, a right-handed batter, to fly out and end that chance, keeping the game tied.
Pirates shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and then made it to second base on a balk from Brewers left-handed pitcher Tyler Alexander.
Cruz then hit a ball 114.3 mph off the bat into center field, scoring Kiner-Falefa and making it into third base for his first triple of the season, giving the Pirates a 2-1 lead.
Oneil Cruz rips a 114.3 MPH triple into the gap to put the @Pirates ahead! pic.twitter.com/79npWrCTKa
— MLB (@MLB) May 24, 2025
Horwitz doubled with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, but the Pirates didn't capitalize, as left fielder Alexander Canario struckout and third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes grounded out.
Right-handed pitcher David Bednar came on in the top of the ninth inning and immediately hit Durbin to start out.
He then got Bauers to fly out, but then allowed a single to Ortiz, moving Durbin to second base and putting two runners on with one out.
Bednar would end the game, as he got Turang to ground into a double play, earning his fifth save of the season.
The Pirates will go for the series win in the finale vs. the Brewers on May 25. First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.