First pitch: 6:40 p.m. ET
Venue: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
This is the opener of a three-game series. The Brewers have clinched the NL Central and are pushing for home-field advantage and seeding, while the Pirates sit at .500 in third place in the division, still mathematically alive but long shots for a wild-card berth.
Starting Pitchers
Jacob Misiorowski (RHP, Brewers) — 14-5, 1.95 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 236 SO in 161.1 IP. Elite ace and Cy Young frontrunner with dominant strikeout rates, elite command, and one of the lowest ERAs in baseball. He owns one of the highest projected scores among Tuesday’s starters.
Lake Bachar (RHP, Pirates) — 1-3, 3.52 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 83 SO in 79.1 IP. Often used in an opener role recently; provides solid but limited innings with average stuff. Faces a significant mismatch against Milwaukee’s lineup and Misiorowski.
Current Weather Forecast
Mostly sunny and pleasant. Highs in the low-to-mid 80s°F, cooling into the upper 60s/low 70s°F by first pitch. Light south/southeast winds around 5–10 mph. Very low precipitation chance. Ideal conditions for a night game at PNC Park with minimal weather impact expected.
Injury Reports
Brewers:
Bryse Wilson (RP, back) — 15-day IL.
Grant Anderson (RP, biceps) — 15-day IL.
Longer-term: Brandon Woodruff (shoulder), Quinn Priester (wrist), Rob Zastryzny, others (shoulder/elbow/forearm). Core rotation and lineup largely intact.
Pirates:
Esmerlyn Valdez (OF, hamstring) — 10-day IL.
Braxton Ashcraft (SP, arm) — 15-day IL.
Kirby Yates (RP, shoulder) — 15-day IL.
Isaac Mattson (RP, hip) — 15-day IL.
Longer-term: Mitch Keller (arm), Endy Rodriguez (hip). Rotation and bullpen depth affected.
Recent Team Forms
Brewers (4-1 last 5 / 6-4 last 10): Strong overall (93-57, first in NL Central, already clinched). Road record solid (41-31). Offense paced by Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Brice Turang, Jake Bauers, and Brandon Lowe; elite team OBP.
Pirates (3-2 last 5 / 7-3 last 10): Playing better of late and back to .500 (75-75, third in NL Central). Home record 38-34. Key contributors include Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Nick Gonzales, and Brandon Lowe (when available).
Series History
Pirates lead the season series 6-4. Competitive NL Central matchups throughout the year, with Pittsburgh taking early and midseason series edges, though Milwaukee has the superior overall roster and record.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups / Trends
Misiorowski vs. Pirates hitters: Pittsburgh’s contact and power (Reynolds, Cruz, Gonzales) face an extreme challenge against elite velocity and swing-and-miss stuff. Expect high strikeout totals and limited hard contact.
Bachar vs. Brewers hitters: Milwaukee’s deep, high-OBP lineup (Chourio, Contreras, Turang, Bauers) should create pressure early, especially if Bachar is limited as an opener.
Standouts: Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Brice Turang for Brewers; Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz for Pirates. Brewers hold major edges in starting pitching quality, overall ERA (3.57 vs. 4.18), and recent offensive production.
Betting Trends
Milwaukee’s ace and superior record make them strong favorites. Low totals are common with Misiorowski on the mound due to his dominance.
Game Odds
Milwaukee Brewers – 211
Pittsburgh Pirates 7.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, September 14, 2026
