For a program that competes at the Division III level, Wisconsin-Whitewater doesn't often see its alumni lighting up MLB box scores — but Lake Bachar is making a habit of it.
The Pirates reliever delivered one of the more dominant short outings of his season on Sunday, striking out four Detroit Tigers batters in just 1.2 innings as Pittsburgh held on for a 4-2 victory. Four strikeouts in fewer than two innings is the kind of line that turns heads in any bullpen, and Bachar's stuff was clearly overwhelming on an afternoon when Pittsburgh needed the bridge to hold.
The outing pushed Bachar's season ERA to 3.43 — a mark that reflects steady, reliable work out of the bullpen across the full year. For a pitcher who came up through UW-Whitewater rather than a Power Five program, that number represents a legitimate foothold in one of the most competitive jobs in professional sports.
Bachar has carved out his MLB role the hard way, relying on command and strikeout ability rather than the recruiting pedigree that typically precedes a big-league career. Sunday was a reminder of why Pittsburgh has kept him on the roster: when the moment calls for a pitcher who can miss bats in bunches, Bachar delivers.
With the regular season winding down, the Pirates' bullpen picture heading into the offseason will be worth watching — and performances like this one make a strong case for Bachar's place in it.
AI-generated summary
