PIRATES FINALLY SCORE FIVE… But Fall to Brewers

PITTSBURGH — The good news: The Pittsburgh Pirates avoided making history. After matching the MLB record by scoring four runs or fewer in 26-straight games, they finally scored five runs to avoid setting the record.

The bad news: They lost 8-5 to the Brewers at PNC Park on Thursday night.

How We Got  There

Christian Yelich hit an opposite-field three-run home run in the top of the first inning against Mike Burrows (0-1), who was making his first start of the season. 

The Pirates (17-38) had the bases loaded with nobody out in the bottom of the first but only managed one run on a Joey Bart double play ball.

The Brewers (25-26) got the run right back in the top of the second on Joey Ortiz’s solo homer to left.

In the bottom of the fourth, Spencer Horwitz belted a solo homer to right-center field for his first Pirate home run.

1ST BUCCO HOMER FOR SPENCER HORWITZ…

AND HE KNEW IT!!! 🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/JnoLnMPmFf

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) May 22, 2025

Yelich hit his second homer of the game in the top of the sixth, a solo homer off Isaac Mattson to put the Brewers ahead 5-2.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oneil Cruz hit back-to-back doubles in the sixth to bring the Pirates within two. 

Milwaukee answered with three runs off Chase Shugart in the eighth to blow the game open.

Bryan Reynolds doubled home the Pirates’ fourth run of the game in the bottom of the ninth and Horwitz brought home their elusive fifth with a groundout to short.

Key Moment

The Pirates had already scored in the top of the sixth and had runners on the corners for Bryan Reynolds, who had reached base safely in each of his first three plate appearances. After a 1 hour and 50 minute delay, Reynolds, who was the potential go-ahead run, struck out against Carlos Rodriguez. 

Star of the Game

Christian Yelich recorded the 11th multi-home run game of his career and his first since Sep. 22, 2023 against the Marlins. 

Notable Performances

• Mike Burrows: 5.0 innings, four hits, four runs, two walks, three strikeouts, 77 pitches/49 strikes
• Spencer Horwitz: 2 for 4, one home run, two RBIs, one run
• Oneil Cruz: 1 for 3, one double, one RBI, two runs, two walks
• Bryan Reynolds: 2 for 3, two doubles, one RBI, one walk
• Andrew McCutchen: 1 for 2, one run, three walks

Stat to Know

The Pirates are the only team this century to go at least 25-straight games of scoring four runs or fewer. The last team to go 26 games on such a streak was the 1969 California Angels.

Noteworthy

• The last time the Pirates scored at least five runs in a game was in a 9-3 win over the Angels on Apr. 22.
  The Pirates haven’t had three-straight wins since winning four in a row from Sep. 8-11 last season.
• RHP Mike Burrows was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday. In a corresponding move, the Pirates optioned RHP Carmen Mlodzinski.

Up Next

• RHP Paul Skenes (3-5, 2.44 ERA) starts for the Pirates in the second game of the series on Thursday night. Hell be opposite Brewers RHP Freddy Peralta (5-3, 2.59 ERA). First pitch 6:40 p.m. ET.