Milwaukee Brewers' Jake Bauers (9) slides in to score in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

MILWAUKEE — Kyle Harrison collected a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowed just one hit and one walk in six scoreless innings as the Milwaukee Brewers avoided a sweep by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0 on Sunday.

The Pirates were attempting to complete a sweep in Milwaukee for the first time since winning four straight games here in August 2016. The Pirates’ last sweep of the Brewers came August 2022 at Pittsburgh.

“Going on the road against Texas and Milwaukee, never really satisfied with 3-3,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “And the way we played here, against the Brewers, to win a series here, we’ll definitely take that going home. Get back home in front of our fans, looking back to getting back to Pittsburgh and playing some good baseball against division opponents.”

Pittsburgh’s only hits were Marcell Ozuna’s single against Harrison (2-1) in the second and Nick Gonzales’ double off Trevor Megill in the seventh. The Pirates struck out 18 times.

Jake Bauers hit two doubles for the Brewers, who snapped a four-game skid.

Milwaukee scored all its runs off Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2) in the fourth inning.

Mlodzinski held Milwaukee hitless until William Contreras capped a 10-pitch at-bat with a leadoff single in the fourth. Contreras advanced to third on Bauers’ ground-rule double and came home when Gary Sánchez bounced out to second.

Milwaukee then got three straight two-out hits to extend its lead to 5-0.

Bauers came home on Luis Rengifo’s single up the middle after Sal Frelick reached on catcher’s interference to keep the inning alive. David Hamilton doubled home Frelick, then Brandon Lockridge singled home Rengifo and Hamilton to knock Mlodzinski out of the game.

“Lost us the game, so I think it was one of those days where I come in and I felt really good for the first three innings and then just spiraled, honestly,” Mlodzinski said. “Gave absolutely everything I had to try to get out of that (fourth) inning and just didn’t.”

Pittsburgh loaded the bases in the eighth with two walks and an error, but Aaron Ashby ended the threat by retiring Bryan Reynolds on a grounder to second.

Milwaukee didn’t hit a homer for a seventh straight game. That represents the Brewers’ longest such drought since August 1999, when they went a franchise-record 13 consecutive games without a home run.

Saturday’s game

Reynolds had a go-ahead single in the 10th, Gonzales followed with a two-run single and the Pirates beat the Brewers 6-3 on Saturday night.

Henry Davis started the 10th at second for the Pirates against Angel Zerpa (0-2). Pinch-hitter Ozuna walked and Nick Yorke pinch ran for Ozuna. Reynolds singled to left to score Davis and chase Zerpa. Gonzales then hit a sharp single off Grant Anderson to drive in Yorke and Reynolds.

Gregory Soto (2-0) pitched the ninth, and Yohan Ramírez worked the 10th for his first save.

Milwaukee had a chance in the bottom of the eighth against Dennis Santana. Garrett Mitchell laced a two-out double and Frelick was walked intentionally before Greg Jones struck out swinging.

Frelick had a pair of sacrifice flies for Milwaukee, the second off reliever Issac Mattson to tie it at 3 in the sixth.

Spencer Horwitz’ sacrifice fly in the sixth put the Pirates ahead 3-2. He also drove in a run with a single to center in the fourth. Rookie Konnor Griffin followed with his second hit in the game, a two-out run-scoring single.

Pirates starter Mitch Keller allowed three runs on five hits in five innings.

Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski struck out nine for the second consecutive game but hit two batters who both scored. He allowed three runs on six hits and threw a wild pitch.

Up next

The Pirates return home for a four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals. The starting pitchers for tonight’s series opener are St. Louis’ Dustin May (3-2, 5.84 ERA) and Pittsburgh’s Mason Montgomery (1-0, 3.97).