Covering the bases 9/7/2025: Brewers 10, Pirates 2
The Milwaukee Brewers completed a three-game sweep by ruining the first MLB start by a highly touted prospect. The Brewers use a combination of a quick-strike offense and a lengthy start to throttle the Pirates 10-2 on Sunday at PNC Park. With MLB's best record at 89-55, the NL Central-leading Brewers now have a 7½-game cushion over the second-place Chicago Cubs after their 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals. It also reduced the Brewers' magic number for clinching a playoff spot to three with the San Francisco Giants' 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
FIRST BASE: Return of the king
After a cold spell, Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn has seemingly regained his form in the Pirates series. Vaughn had his first four-hit game with the Brewers and has hit in four straight games. Vaughn had an RBI single in the first inning and later doubled.
SECOND BASE: Bauers raking
With manager Pat Murphy rolling out a B-lineup, Jake Bauers got another start, this time in right field. Bauers has earned the time by performing well in the first two games and continued that by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Bauers highlighted a four-run first inning with a two-run double. In the series, Bauers went 6-for-12 with a homer, five runs scored and six RBIs. The production comes at a key time for Bauers with first baseman Rhys Hoskins expected to be activated from the injured list in the coming week.
THIRD BASE: Area code game
Quick starts and four-run innings have been one of the calling cards for the Brewers' success this season. They combined the two Sunday and it resulted in a Milwaukee area code start: 4 in the first, 1 in the second, 4 in the third – 414. Bauers had a two-run double, Vaughn an RBI single and Caleb Durbin plated the final run of the first inning with a double-play grounder. Danny Jansen doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the second. In the third, Bauers walked, Vaughn singled and Blake Perkins had a one-out double to score Bauers. After Danny Jansen walked, a Joey Ortiz grounder drove in Vaughn. Brice Turang then singled home the final two runs of the third inning. All of the runs were charged to Pirates rookie right-hander Bubba Chandler, the team's top pitching prospect who was making his first MLB start after three relief appearances.
HOME PLATE: Miz marvels
Going seven innings and more than 100 pitches was certainly not on the bingo card for most Brewers fans when it came to rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski's start Sunday. But that is exactly what happened. Misiorowski surprisingly went a season-high seven innings and threw 108 pitches – 15 more than he had thrown in any of his previous 11 MLB games. Other than a bumpy first inning, Misiorowski was really good. He allowed three hits and one run, walking three and striking out eight. Two of the walks came to the first two batters he faced. The Miz finished strong, reaching 100 mph on five pitches, with his final offering clocking in at 98 mph. He retired the final 13 batters he faced and 14 of the last 15.
EXTRA BASES: Quintana opens vs. Rangers
⚾ The Brewers continue their six-game road trip by taking on the Texas Rangers on Monday. Left-hander Jose Quintana (11-5, 3.72 ERA) goes for the Crew, while the Rangers will go with Jacob Latz. Quintana was really good for six innings in his last start before running into a little trouble in the seventh in a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Quintana's final line was 6⅓ innings, seven hits, three runs, three walks and six strikeouts. Two of the runs Quintana yielded came in the seventh.
⚾ The Brewers are giving their starts an extra day of rest, pushing everyone after Quintana back a day, with Freddy Peralta now scheduled to start Wednesday. Tuesday's starter is yet to be announced, but could be a combination of Erick Fedde, Tobias Myers and Carlos Rodriguez.
⚾ Outfielder Christian Yelich was again not in the Brewers' lineup, marking the fifth game he has been unavailable due to a back issue.
