Pirates Ride Winning Streak Into Brewers Series

That grind has been the defining characteristic of Kelly’s tenure. Since he took over the helm, the Pirates have posted a 52-51 record, a significant achievement that signals a shift in the club's competitiveness and provides a tangible vote of confidence for Kelly’s leadership heading into the 2026 season. The team's identity has crystallized around aggressive base running, a committed offensive approach and a resilient starting rotation.

When asked about the team's performance since the break, Kelly again pointed to a collective, hard-nosed mentality.

“It’s that mindset of competing and finding a way to grind through it and work hard every day,” he explained. “Seeing them gel as a team, you see the starting pitching, you see the foundation and you see how close they are... The identity of the commitment to an approach, the commitment on the bases of playing the game aggressively... They’re going out and finding ways to win.”

This weekend’s series against the division-rival Brewers offers another opportunity to test that newfound confidence. The challenge now, as Kelly sees it, is to maintain their edge without becoming complacent.

“Yeah, I hope a lot,” Kelly said when asked if the sweep builds confidence. “I think we’re playing with really good confidence right now. We have to keep that up. Continue to keep that edge and we stress just working every day and finding a way to get better... allowing that to translate into wins and into confidence.”

As the Pirates look to extend their winning streaks this weekend, the series against Milwaukee is more than just another set of games; it’s a showcase of a team building a promising foundation for the future under its current manager.

Key Stats

• Party at PNC Park: Six straight home wins for Pittsburgh
• Brewin' Up Road Success: 40 road wins by Milwaukee is most in the MLB
• The Pirates and Brewers have met a total of 451 times. The Brewers lead the series 255-196.

Probable Pitchers & Matchups

Game 1: Friday, 6:40 PM EDT at PNC Park

• PIT: RHP Johan Oviedo (2-0, 3.60 ERA, 20 K)
• MIL: RHP Quinn Priester (11-2, 3.28 ERA, 107 K)
• Key Battle: Oviedo vs Brewers OF Christian Yelich (1-for-9, 1 HR, 1 RBI in 9 career AB against Oviedo)

Game 2: Saturday, 6:40 PM EDT at PNC Park

• PIT: RHP Mitch Keller (6-13, 4.21 ERA, 132 K)
• MIL: RHP Brandon Woodruff (5-2, 3.69 ERA, 66 K)
• Key Battle: Woodruff vs Pirates OF Tommy Pham (.417 AVG, 1.250 OPS, 1 HR, 1 RBI in 12 career AB against Woodruff)

Game 3: Sunday, 1:35 PM EDT at PNC Park

• PIT: TBD
• MIL: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (4-2, 4.50 ERA, 69 K)
• Key Battle: Misiorowski vs Pirates OF Oneil Cruz (0-for-2 against Misiorowski)

Players to Watch

• SP Mitch Keller (PIT): 5 IP, 0 ER, 7 K in last start
• OF Bryan Reynolds (PIT): .333 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBI in last seven days
• SP Quinn Priester (MIL): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 K in last start
• 2B Brice Turang (MIL): .375 AVG, 1.412 OPS, 2 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI over last seven days