The Milwaukee Brewers clinched a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, with Aaron Civale shining on the mound by pitching six scoreless innings. Civale, who boasts a 2.57 ERA in his last nine starts, allowed only three hits while striking out five batters. Rookie third baseman Joey Ortiz was a standout performer, falling just a home run short of hitting for the cycle. Ortiz contributed significantly to the Brewers’ offense with a triple in the third inning and a double in the sixth, helping his team secure the win.

Following their triumph, the National League Central champion Brewers are gearing up for the postseason, set to face the New York Mets in a three-game series before the NL Wild Card Series kicks off next Tuesday at home. The team’s recent performance has been impressive, winning five of their last seven games and maintaining a solid road record of 46-35 for the season.

Additional offensive support came from Blake Perkins, Gary Sanchez, and Brice Turang, who all had multi-hit games. Turang also played a key role by driving in two runs, further solidifying the Brewers’ lead. Devin Williams closed the game by pitching a scoreless ninth inning to secure his 14th save of the season.

On the Pirates’ side, Mitch Keller struggled in his final start, allowing three runs over five innings. Despite Bryan De La Cruz’s two-run homer in the seventh, the Pirates ultimately fell short, marking their ninth loss in 13 games. The team closed out the season with a 39-42 record at home.

The Pirates experienced a slight increase in attendance this season, totaling 1,720,321 fans, attributed in part to the emergence of rookie pitcher Paul Skenes. Looking ahead, the Brewers will send RHP Frankie Montas to the mound in their upcoming game against the Mets, while the Pirates will have RHP Jared Jones starting against the Yankees’ LHP Carlos Rodon.

In injury news, the Brewers activated Nick Mears from the injured list, with RHP Kevin Herget being optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Both teams are gearing up for their upcoming matchups as the regular season winds down, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion before the playoffs begin.