Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales goes 5-for-5 in highlight-filled win in Milwaukee

Gonzales is the eighth Pirates second baseman to go 5-for-5

Nick Gonzales had himself a day. Arguably his best in the big leagues.

Gonzales was one of the best hitters in baseball at delivering game-winning hits a season ago. Since coming off the IL, he’s starting to become the No. 7 overall pick that fans expected him to be.

Gonzales delivered a 5-for-5 day at the plate in a 5-4 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday. He hit two doubles and drove in two runs.

The Bucs’ second baseman doubled in Bryan Reynolds to start the game in the 1st and brought Reynolds around to score again in the 5th on a single to right field.

It’s the team’s first five-hit performance since Oneil Cruz on August 2, 2024, against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In 75 at-bats, Gonzales is hitting .320 with two home runs, seven RBIs, and an .843 OPS. He raised his average by .049 and on-base by .043 thanks to the historic effort.

The game marked the eighth time a Pirates second baseman went 5-for-5 and first since Neil Walker on August 12, 2012, in an 11-5 win against the Padres.

Gonzales is the fourth Pirates player in the last 50 years to go 5-for-5 in his first 150 games.

Gonzales, 26, owns 30 doubles, 11 home runs, 69 RBIs, and a .264/.307/.401 slash line in 148 career games spanning the last three seasons.

The Pirates need a significant piece of the puzzle answered in their infield. Ke’Bryan Hayes and Spencer Horwitz have combined to hit three home runs, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa is likely on the move at the trade deadline.

Pittsburgh needs Gonzales to become a consistent hitter in the top five of its lineup. He has gap power and could become a 15-20 homer player, but the Pirates need Gonzales to be the clutch player we’ve seen at times over the past year.

The Pirates play the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday.