Brewers at Pirates
Left fielder Ryan Braun looks to build off his best performance of the
season when his Milwaukee Brewers visit the Pittsburgh Pirates in
Saturday's second contest of a three-game set. Braun smacked two long
homers as part of a three-hit outing in Friday's series opener to lead
Milwaukee to an 8-4 victory.
Braun went five games without an RBI before breaking loose against the Pirates with four while recording his 23rd career multi-homer game with blasts of 460 and 415 feet. "I was just out there competing trying to get good pitches to hit," Braun told reporters after the contest. "I felt pretty good the last few games. The results haven't been there but I just continued to believe in the process. I got a couple pitches to hit and I didn't miss them." Shortstop Jonathan Villar also had three hits in his return from an ankle injury that sidelined him two games. Struggling Pittsburgh has lost four straight games and six of the past seven.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Taylor Jungmann (0-1, 11.57 ERA) vs. Pirates LH Jonathon Niese (1-0, 5.73)
Jungman was torched by the St. Louis Cardinals in his last outing on Monday as he gave up eight runs and eight hits in two innings. He gave up seven extra-base hits (five doubles, two triples) in the short outing that lasted 60 pitches. Jungman went 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four outings against the Pirates last season and shut down catcher Francisco Cervelli (0-for-8) and left fielder Starling Marte (1-for-9).
Niese defeated the Detroit Tigers in his last turn when he gave up four runs (three earned) and five hits in six innings on Monday. He walked just one in each of his two outings with Pittsburgh, which acquired him from the New York Mets in the offseason. Niese is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in eight career starts against the Brewers and hasn't allowed Braun to homer off him despite the slugger being 5-for-16 in their meetings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Marte had three hits in the series opener and is 11-for-27 over the past six games.
2. Milwaukee 1B Chris Carter reached base four times Friday on two hits and two walks and has an extra-base hit in each of his last four games.
3. Pittsburgh has allowed 30 runs during its four-game skid.