Pirates break franchise record for homers in a season, but drop series to Brewers

Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sep 16, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates broke their franchise record for homers in a season on Wednesday night, but fell another game further from a winning year.

The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pirates, 5-4, at PNC Park, despite three homers for the Pirates. They’ve hit 174 this season, breaking a tie with the 1999 team (171) for the most in franchise history.

Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe and Rafael Flores Jr. all homered for the Pirates, but Carmen Mlodzinski allowed two runs in the seventh for the Pirates’ 23rd blown save of the season.

Jared Jones started for the Pirates. He’d allowed four hits in 13 scoreless innings to start September, but allowed four consecutive two-out singles in the second inning as the National League Central champion Brewers built a 2-0 lead.

Cruz brought the Pirates within a run in the fourth with a line drive that just kept rising. The homer was clocked at 113.1 mph off the bat and ending a stretch of five consecutive strikeouts.

A run-scoring double from Brice Turang extended the Brewers’ lead back to two in the fifth, but two strikeouts from Jones stranded runners on second and third. Jones struck out nine in his five innings, allowing seven hits and a walk.

Lowe tied the game in the fifth with a two-out, two-run shot off Brewers starter Logan Henderson. The blast, Lowe’s 31st of the year, cleared the seats above the Clemente Wall.

Flores gave the Pirates the lead with a solo homer to right-center field off lefty Jojo Romero, with his hot stretch continuing after a 4 for 4 day Tuesday. He now has a hit in 10 consecutive games, batting .421 in that span.

But Mlodzinski couldn’t hold the lead. Two walks and a Jackson Chourio single loaded the bases before Christian Yelich’s two-run single just stayed inside the left field line.

It was over when …

The Pirates had two on and one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Bryan Reynolds’ grounder up the middle was fielded at the second base bag for an easy double play.

Flores grounded into a threat-ending double play in the eighth, stranding Cruz’s infield single.

On the mound

Jones’ slider has been outstanding in September, but it wasn’t quite as sharp on Wednesday. All four singles in the second came against the pitch. It was responsible for five of his nine strikeouts, but drew just eight whiffs.

Jones also had two strikeouts on his curveball, with the Brewers whiffing on all three swings against the pitch.

At the plate

The Pirates had 12 hits, but went just 1 for 3 with runners in scoring position. They left six runners on base.

Lowe went 2 for 3 with a walk. Konnor Griffin went 2 for 4 with a double. Cruz, Ryan O’Hearn and Ronny Simon also went 2 for 4.

Bucs bites

— Only one player has more home runs in a season at PNC Park than Lowe’s 17: Brian Giles, who hit 18 in 2001.

— The loss snapped a streak of four consecutive home series wins.

Up next

The Pirates and Brewers will conclude their three-game series at 12:35 p.m. ET Thursday. The Pirates have not announced their starter for a bullpen game, while the Brewers elected to go with lefty Kyle Harrison (10-4, 3.98 ERA) instead of the previously scheduled Dustin May.

Harrison has been charged with 19 runs, 17 earned, in his last three appearances (7 1/3 innings). But he’s dominated the Pirates in two starts against them, striking out 22 and allowing just two hits in 11 scoreless innings.

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