Pirates Rally But Let Late Lead Slip Away in Loss to Brewers

PITTSBURGH — After falling behind by three in the first inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates scored five unanswered runs before letting a late lead slip away in a 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on Sunday afternoon. 

How We Got There

The Brewers (26-28) put up three runs in the top of the first against Bailey Falter. Rhys Hoskins was responsible for driving in the first run on a sac fly to right.

Later in the inning, with two on and two out, Sal Frelick drove in Christian Yelich on a base hit up to center field and Isaac Collins scored after Oneil Cruz airmailed a throw home. 

Cruz made up for his error by blasting a 432-foot home run that bounced into the Allegheny River. The solo blast cut the Brewers’ lead to 3-1. 

The Pirates (19-35) rallied to tie the game at 3-all in the sixth. Alexander Canario opened the inning with a triple and scored on Adam Frazier’s base hit. Two batters later, Frazier scored on a Tommy Pham RBI single. 

Frazier came up big for the Pirates again in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run double to left on a ball that ticked off the glove of a dicing Isaac Collins. 

But the Brewers rallied to take the lead with three runs off Ryan Borucki in the ninth. Caleb Durbin hit a double to deep left to plate a pair and scored on Brice Turang’s RBI double down the left field line. 

The Pirates had two runners on with one out in the eighth but Pham was picked off second base and Andrew McCutchen struck out against Abner Uribe.

Key Moment

Caleb Durbin’s game-tying double in the eighth came on an 0-2 pitch with two outs. Ryan Borucki (1-2) left a sweeper over the heart of the plate

Star of the Game

Adam Frazier sparked the sixth-inning rally and put the Pirates ahead in the seventh. He’s 8 for 15 with four RBI and three walks over his last four games. 

Notable Performances

• Bailey Falter: 5.2 innings, four hits, three runs (two earned), three walks, one strikeout 84 pitches/55 strikes
• Ryan Borucki: 0.2 innings, three hits, three runs, one walk, no strikeouts, 31 pitches/20 strikes
• Oneil Cruz: 1 for 4, one home run, one RBI, one walk
• Adam Frazier: 3 for 5, one double, three RBI, one run
• Alexander Canario: 3 for 4, one triple, two runs, one walk
• Tommy Pham: 2 for 3, one RBI, one walk
• Andrew McCutchen: 2 for 5, one run

Stat to Know

During this four-game series, Oneil Cruz had a double, a triple, three home runs, five RBI, two walks and five runs scored. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, he’s only the fifth Pirates player ever to post those stats or better in a series of any length and the first since Brian Giles in 2002. 

Noteworthy

• Cruz’s home run was the hardest hit ball of the Statcast era (since 2015) at a 122.9 mph exit velocity.
• Tommy Pham recorded his first RBI since driving in one run against the Angels on Apr. 23.
• Adam Frazier collected three RBI for the first time since July 30, 2023 as a member of the Orioles against the Yankees.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa extended his hitting streak to eight games.

Up Next

The Pirates head out west and will start a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Memorial Day. LHP Andrew Heaney (3-3, 2.91 ERA) will be on the mound for Pittsburgh. He’ll be opposed by RHP Ryne Nelson (1-1, 4.60 ERA). First pitch: 8:10 p.m. ET.