Liover Peguero hit a two-run double, and Luis Ortiz pitched seven solid innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Ortiz (7-6) allowed one run on four hits, along with one walk and five strikeouts during his seven innings. His only mistake was a pitch in the second inning to Jake Bauers, who hit it out for his 12th home run of the season.
Peguero, who led all Pirates minor leaguers in hits, RBIs, and doubles this season, was called up on Tuesday after Pittsburgh unexpectedly released first baseman Rowdy Tellez.
In the fifth inning, he hit a ball to the gap in left-center against Freddy Peralta (11-9), driving in Yasmani Grandal and Nick Yorke, both of whom reached base after drawing full-count walks.
“When you work really hard and then you see the results, the results that you’ve been looking for, you just get excited,” Peguero said. “Right now, I just want more. I’m going to continue to keep improving out there and give everything I have, which is really exciting.”
Isiah Kiner-Falefa contributed the other two hits for Pittsburgh, with a clean single in the fourth and an infield hit in the eighth.
Aroldis Chapman earned his 12th save after left fielder Bryan Reynolds threw out Willy Adames with two outs in the ninth when Adames tried to turn a single into a double.
Ortiz, who started the season as a long reliever, is making a strong case to stay in the rotation for 2025, alongside rookie standout Paul Skenes.
“After we broke camp and they told me I was going to be in the bullpen, all that was in my mind was to try and help the team in as many ways as possible,” Ortiz said, adding that he will finish the year with a 3.32 ERA.
“Whatever happens after that, it happens. The other thing I was focused on was to just work hard and give the team a good shot to win.”
The right-handed pitcher has added a cutter to his pitch selection this season, making him more effective.
“That’s a new pitch,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “For how much it played and how much he was able to make that pitch better during a major league season is something that’s really important.”
Rhys Hoskins, William Contreras, and Sal Frelick each got singles for the NL Central champion Brewers, who are preparing for their sixth playoff appearance in seven years.
Peralta has been a key reason why Milwaukee is returning to the postseason. The 28-year-old right-hander has been a mainstay in the Brewers’ rotation, which has seen 17 different players start at least one game.
“You talk about a pillar,” said Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy. “We call those guys our pillars. But he did it on the field, too. He showed every single start and he gave us everything he got.”
Peralta was sharp for most of the night against Pittsburgh, retiring the first nine batters he faced. He faced challenges with two outs in the fifth, which also came when he was one strikeout away from hitting 200 for the second straight season.
The 28-year-old admitted he was focused on reaching that milestone against Grandal, Yorke, and Peguero, and it affected him.
“One of his better outings except for that little three-batter stretch where there are two outs and he’s trying to punch guys out,” Murphy said. “Hopefully he learned a lesson.”
Murphy allowed Peralta to pitch in the top of the sixth but took him out after he struck out Reynolds to reach 200 strikeouts. Now, he will get some rest before the playoffs start.
“I’m in a great position right now,” Peralta said. “I feel great. Awesome.”
