Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds did everything he could to stop the Milwaukee Brewers’ winning streak on Wednesday, nearly erasing their 6-0 lead with home runs in back-to-back innings. But despite driving in all five of his team’s runs with his first multi-homer game of the year, it wasn’t enough as the Brewers pulled away for a 12-5 victory — their season-best 12th straight win.
The rout capped Milwaukee’s fourth straight sweep, improving the team’s record to an MLB-best 76-44. The last-place Pirates were no match for the first-place Brewers, losing all three games by at least six runs and getting outscored 33-6. Not even Paul Skenes could stop them.
Milwaukee is simply on another level, but it’s a good example of the type of team Pittsburgh is trying to become. The Brewers are a perfect model for the Pirates to emulate if they want to be a homegrown, sustainable contender in a smaller market.
Pittsburgh could also learn a thing or two from Milwaukee on the field as well, according to Reynolds.
“I think we need to take a page out of the Brewers’ book. They just do everything right,” Reynolds said via MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. “They base run, they take the extra base, they put the ball in play, swing at strikes. I think we could benefit a lot from trying to have the same kind of game style.”
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Milwaukee is a balanced team that does everything well. Prior to Wednesday’s victory, the Brewers ranked second in MLB in runs per game (5.11), second in stolen bases (130), third in ERA (3.58) and third in defensive efficiency (.713). They have no weaknesses and can beat opponents in numerous ways.
The Pirates have good pitching and defense, but they need to get their offense figured out. If they do, perhaps they’ll be able to compete with Milwaukee.
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Featured image via Sam Navarro/Imagn Images