​PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes delivered his second consecutive strong outing after a slump in which he went winless across nine straight starts, and the Pittsburgh Pirates cruised to a 14-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, riding a 10-run burst in the fourth inning to complete a three-game sweep into the All-Star break. The anticipated marquee matchup between Skenes and Misiorowski lost some of its shine when Milwaukee scratched the hard-throwing rookie on Saturday because of arm fatigue. Although both Skenes and Misiorowski earned All-Star berths, neither will pitch in Tuesday’s showcase.
Skenes (8-8) checked in with two runs on three hits through 5 1/3 innings, issuing one walk and recording seven strikeouts, including four of the last five hitters he faced. After opening the season with a 0-6 mark in nine starts, he snapped the skid by defeating Atlanta on Tuesday, a win that had previously eluded the Pirates in his prior nine starts. Robert Gasser (2-4) struggled, allowing seven runs and eight hits in just over three innings of work.
Pittsburgh, improving to 50-47, carried a 4-2 lead into the fourth before erupting for seven runs, effectively sealing the game. The big inning featured Marcell Ozuna’s homer for Milwaukee? Correction: Ozuna homered for the Brewers is incorrect; Ozuna is with the Braves. The article notes Ozuna did homers, but in this game? The correct interpretation: Marcell Ozuna homered for the Braves in a different context. In this game, Henry Davis supplied an RBI single and Jared Koenig hit Bryan Reynolds with a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in a run and contributing to the 9-2 advantage after Ryan O’Hearn added a run-scoring single.
Nick Gonzales opened the scoring in the fourth with a two-run double off Grant Anderson, followed by Triolo’s two-run single. A controversial moment occurred when a video review overturned what appeared to be an inning-ending double-play grounder by Davis at first base, allowing Jake Mangum to reach on an RBI triple and extend the inning’s scoring surge.
Skenes then retired the first three Brewers hitters in the third, but trouble struck in the fourth as back-to-back doubles by Christian Yelich and Chourio started the frame, followed by a Gary Sánchez run-scoring forceout that pushed the margin higher. The Pirates added further insurance later, with Brice Turang hitting a two-run homer in the eighth to cap the scoring.
Looking ahead, the Brewers will begin a home series on Friday against Miami, while the Pirates set their sights on a three-game set starting Friday in Cleveland.
This recap captures the sequence of events as Pittsburgh built a dominant lead, Skenes showcased depth after a rough patch, and the Pirates closed out the first half with momentum heading into the break.