Coming into their series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, the Milwaukee Brewers were losers of four straight games and were in danger of falling below the .500 mark for the first time during the 2026 season.

The Brewers needed a boost, and Kyle Harrison delivered.

The 24-year-old left-hander put up a career day as he notched 12 strikeouts while allowing just one hit and one walk through six shutout innings. Thanks to a massive fourth inning, Milwaukee won 5-0.

After the game, Harrison talked about his significant day on the mound and what made his stuff special.

“Yeah, it's tough to say, but I think just fastball command,” Harrison told the media. “Starting out, and then as the innings went on, I think it was just mixing a good amount of changeups. I mean, showed it early, so that was huge, just to let them know I’m throwing it in the zone.

“And yeah, I thought the slider took a step forward today and was able to use that to expand out of the zone,” he added. “So yeah, tunneling was a little bit better today.”

Harrison’s 12 strikeouts were a career-high mark and the most by a left-hander in Major League Baseball this season. Moreover, he becomes only the third lefty in Brewers history to log six-plus scoreless and 12-plus strikeouts, joining Eric Lauer (2022) and Juan Nieves (1986).

While the performance is a confidence boost for Harrison, he will not spend too long relishing it.

“It grows a little for today,” Harrison said. “It's like, yeah, it was a great day, but can't take that with you in the next one. You gotta restart and start new, and it's a new week, and it's new opponents. So on to the next one, per se, yeah.”

Harrison delivered 101 pitches through six innings of work, 72 of which were strikes. After missing a brief period with a wrist injury, Harrson’s day reflected his improved health.

“Definitely, I'd say definitely in a better spot physically,” he said. “I know last one kind of was a short one, and I was feeling a little bit different in that fourth inning than last time. So to be able to get to that sixth and feel good during it and throughout it, it was awesome.”

Harrison also praised catcher William Contreras for his guidance while he was on the mound.

“I think in one of the later innings, for example, I want to say it was [Jake] Mangum at bat, because I faced him in the past," Harrison said. "But I wanted to stick to the heater, but he [Contreras] kept giving me the slider.

“I think I shook once, and he fouled off the heater,” Harrison added. “And then went back to the slider and got that whip. So it's trusting him and trusting the swings he's reading, it's huge. He's been awesome back there.”

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