The Pirates were looking for their first sweep in Milwaukee since 2016, but the Brewers’ pitchers were just too tough yesterday.
Greg Brown has the recap.
Manager Donnie Kelly is looking forward to getting back to PNC Park after a 3-3 road trip.
The Pirates are back home at PNC Park tonight for the start of a seven-game homestand against NL Central rivals St. Louis and Cincinnati. The Bucs will use a bullpen game, giving their starters an extra day of rest. Left-hander Mason Montgomery [1-0, 3.97 ERA] will make the start against the Cardinals’ big right-hander Dustin May [3-2, 5.84 ERA]. Airtime on WCCS is 6:15, with first pitch at 6:40.
The Pirates placed starter Braxton Ashcraft on the Major League Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency list on Saturday. He’ll miss at least three games and as many as seven. Reliever Cam Sanders was recalled from Indianapolis to replace him.
On Pirates Insider on WCCS yesterday, general manager Ben Cherington said that Jared Jones will make his first rehab start with Low-A Bradenton on Wednesday, officially returning to the mound for the first time since internal brace surgery on his pitching elbow last May. Except for spring training appearances last season before the injury, Jones last threw in a baseball game on September 27th, 2024, going four-and-a-third innings in 4-2 win over the Yankees. Cherington says the Pirates will “take it an outing at a time and map out the rest of the schedule.” He anticipates several outings to approximate a spring training as closely as they can.
ALTOONA CURVE
Pinch-hitter Omar Alfonzo doubled in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning, scoring Keiner Delgado, who had also doubled to center, and the Curve beat Harrisburg 5-4.
Jesus Castillo slugged a three-run homer for the Curve and had two hits in the game, and Callan Moss had three hits.
The Curve return home after a two-city road trip and eleven straight away games. They’ll play a six-game set against Richmond starting tomorrow night.
