Pirates at Brewers
Two of the three remaining winless teams in the National League meet Friday when the Pittsburgh Pirates open a three-game series against the host Milwaukee Brewers. The Pirates are 0-3 for the first time since 2006 after being swept by Cincinnati, while Milwaukee was outscored 20-6 in three losses to Colorado.
The Pirates are looking forward to arriving in Milwaukee following a rough series in Cincinnati that featured rain delays in all three losses. Pittsburgh used seven relief pitchers in Wednesday night’s 5-4, 11-inning loss that ended at 1:46 a.m. local time, and then needed four relievers in Thursday afternoon’s 3-2 loss. They won’t get much sympathy from the Brewers, whose lone bright spot has been the play of newcomer Adam Lind, who was 6-for-10 with a home run in the opening series and should thrive in the No. 3 spot in the order between Jonathan Lucroy and Aramis Ramirez. Lucroy is hitless in his first 12 at-bats but hit .301 with 13 homers and 69 RBIs last season.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, No TV (Pittsburgh), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Jeff Locke (2014: 7-6, 3.91 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Mike Fiers (2014: 6-5, 2.13)
Locke earned the fifth spot in the rotation despite posting a 6.27 ERA in five spring training games (four starts). The 27-year-old owns a 10-3 record and 2.40 ERA in 26 career first-half starts, but he’s struggled with his control in the second half in each of the last two years. Lucroy is 6-for-13 with a home run against Locke, who is 2-2 with a 3.98 ERA in seven career starts against the Brewers.
Fiers battled weakness in his throwing shoulder during spring training and recorded a 4.73 ERA in four starts, but declared himself healthy for Friday’s season debut. The 29-year-old control artist held opponents to a .181 average in 14 games (10 starts) during a pair of stints with the Brewers last season. Fiers is 2-3 with a 5.60 ERA in seven career games (five starts) against the Pirates.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Brewers are beginning a stretch of 22 straight games against NL Central opponents.
2. Pittsburgh has hit 19 home runs in its last 14 games at Miller Park.
3. Brewers OF Ryan Braun was limited to pinch-hitting duties Wednesday while dealing with an oblique injury, but he’s expected to be in the starting lineup for Friday’s series opener.