PITTSBURGH — The margin for error was already small.

Tuesday night made it even smaller.

The Pittsburgh Pirates opened their nine-game homestand with a frustrating 5-1 loss to Milwaukee, falling below .500 and wasting a night in which they actually outhit one of baseball's best teams.

Now the Pirates have to respond.

Pittsburgh enters Wednesday night's second game against the Brewers at 75-76 with just 11 games remaining.

And if the Pirates want this final stretch of the season to mean anything, there really isn't much time left to wait around.

Win tonight. Get back to .500. Give yourself another chance tomorrow.

Tuesday Was a Missed Opportunity

The final score doesn't tell the entire story of Pittsburgh's 5-1 loss.

The Pirates finished with 10 hits.

Milwaukee had eight.

Pittsburgh still lost by four.

That's the frustrating part.

The Pirates put runners on base against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, but they couldn't turn those opportunities into runs.

Their best early chance came in the fourth when Nick Gonzales, Ryan O'Hearn and Rafael Flores Jr. produced three consecutive singles.

Instead of tying the game, confusion on the bases resulted in O'Hearn being thrown out.

Pittsburgh came away empty-handed.

Two innings later, Milwaukee scored four times and essentially put the game away.

Against good teams, those mistakes become losses.

Jared Jones Gets His Turn

If Pittsburgh is going to even the series, it starts with Jared Jones.

Jones enters Wednesday with a 4-6 record, 4.10 ERA and 100 strikeouts.

The season numbers don't tell the entire story.

Jones provided one of Pittsburgh's best pitching performances of the season less than a week ago against the White Sox.

He carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and ultimately delivered seven scoreless frames in Pittsburgh's 2-0 victory.

That version of Jared Jones could make Wednesday night very interesting.

The Brewers enter the game averaging more than five runs per contest and possess one of the deepest lineups in baseball.

Jones doesn't have to be perfect.

But Pittsburgh desperately needs him to keep Milwaukee from controlling the game early.

Milwaukee Counters With Logan Henderson

The Pirates won't get much of a break after facing Misiorowski.

Milwaukee will send right-hander Logan Henderson to the mound.

Henderson enters Wednesday with an impressive 10-3 record and 2.34 ERA.

He has also recorded 99 strikeouts while establishing himself as another important piece of Milwaukee's outstanding pitching staff.

Pittsburgh's offense cannot afford another night of collecting hits without producing runs.

Getting runners on base is only half the job.

Somebody has to bring them home.

Rafael Flores Jr. Is Giving the Pirates Something to Watch

Tuesday's biggest bright spot was impossible to miss.

Rafael Flores Jr. went a perfect 4-for-4, setting a career high for hits in a game.

He also threw out two attempted basestealers.

On a night when almost nothing went right for Pittsburgh, Flores continued to show why he could be an important part of the Pirates' future.

Now the challenge is turning individual performances like that into runs.

Brandon Lowe Has 30 — Can He Keep Going?

Brandon Lowe supplied Pittsburgh's only run Tuesday night with a solo homer in the eighth inning.

It wasn't enough to change the outcome.

But it did make some history.

The blast was Lowe's 30th home run of the season, making him the first Pirates player to reach 30 since Josh Bell in 2019.

It was also Pittsburgh's 171st home run of the season, tying the franchise record.

One more homer gives this Pirates team a record of its own.

More importantly, Pittsburgh needs Lowe's power if it wants to solve Henderson and avoid dropping another series.

Can Oneil Cruz Break Through?

This feels like the kind of game where Oneil Cruz could make a difference.

Pittsburgh is facing another quality right-hander.

Runs could again be difficult to manufacture.

Cruz has the ability to make all of that irrelevant with one swing.

The Pirates need their biggest power threat to become a factor during the final two weeks of the season.

There aren't many games left.

There aren't many opportunities left.

And Pittsburgh needs its biggest bats to start deciding some of them.

Jones vs. Milwaukee's Lineup

Jones will have his hands full.

Milwaukee enters Wednesday as one of baseball's highest-scoring teams and features threats throughout the lineup.

Brice Turang has been a consistent run producer.

William Contreras remains dangerous in the middle of the order.

Jackson Chourio provides power and athleticism.

Jake Bauers has supplied another major power threat.

There aren't many easy outs.

Jones' ability to miss bats could be the equalizer.

He enters the night averaging more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings.

If his fastball is jumping and his slider is working, Pittsburgh has a legitimate chance to keep this game low-scoring.

Steel Tahn Sports Key to the Game

Players to Watch

The Bigger Picture

There isn't much point pretending the Pirates have plenty of time.

They don't.

Pittsburgh has 11 games remaining.

The Pirates are below .500.

Their postseason path has become extremely difficult.

But meaningful September baseball isn't only about calculating percentages.

It's also about seeing how a young team responds when every mistake feels bigger and every win becomes harder to replace.

Jones is part of the future.

Flores is trying to become part of it.

Konnor Griffin is part of it.

And these final 11 games are another opportunity to see what that future might look like.

Prediction

This looks like another pitching-heavy matchup.

Henderson has been excellent for Milwaukee.

But Jones showed last week what he can do when everything is working.

Pittsburgh's offense had 10 hits Tuesday.

If the Pirates can turn a few of those opportunities into actual runs Wednesday, Jones should give them a chance.

Steel Tahn Sports Prediction: Pirates 4, Brewers 3

The Bottom Line

The Pirates don't need to think about the next 11 games tonight.

They need to think about one.

Jared Jones has the baseball.

They're playing at home.

And they have an opportunity to knock off a Milwaukee team that just celebrated another division championship.

Tuesday was frustrating.

Wednesday is another chance.

Get back to .500. Even the series. Make tomorrow matter.