Brewers at Pirates
The long ball hasn't been an important ingredient in the recent offensive success of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but preventing their opponents from hitting home runs has. The Pirates took a small step toward achieving more balance in that department last time out and eye their second straight victory following a four-game skid when they face the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday in the rubber match of their three-game series.
Pittsburgh finished fourth in the National League in runs scored despite ranking 23rd in the majors last year with 140 homers, due in part to allowing a league-low 110 blasts. The Pirates are in the middle of the pack offensively in the early going of 2016 but had yielded 14 homers while hitting only three before Andrew McCutchen added to the total with his first in 54 plate appearances this season in Saturday's 5-0 win. The Brewers have alternated wins and losses since April 8, averaging 5.8 runs in the victories and totaling five - while getting blanked twice - in their setbacks over that span. Milwaukee might need another strong offensive showing in the series finale, especially considering Zach Davies will make his season debut after going 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA in two outings versus the Pirates last season.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Zach Davies (2015: 3-2, 3.71 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Juan Nicasio (1-1, 5.00)
With Matt Garza expected to miss the next four to six weeks with a lat injury, Davies will be recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to make his seventh career start with Milwaukee. The 23-year-old Arizona native was sharp over six outings during a September audition last year and will enter this turn having worked 15 consecutive scoreless frames - 13 of which came in road starts against San Diego and the Chicago Cubs. Davies held opponents to a .189 average this spring and posted a 2.00 ERA in two minor-league starts this month.
Nicasio was unable to parlay a strong season debut into another fine outing Tuesday, giving up four runs on six hits and five walks in three innings of an 8-2 loss at Detroit. The 29-year-old Dominican already has made more starts this year than he did in 2015, when 52 of his 53 appearances were of the relief variety for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicasio tossed two scoreless frames of relief last year versus the Brewers and has fared well overall against them, going 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in four appearances (two starts).
WALK-OFFS
1. Milwaukee LF Ryan Braun has hit 29 career homers against the Pirates - the most against Pittsburgh by any player in team history.
2. McCutchen has reached base safely in 17 straight home games versus Milwaukee, batting .333 over that time.
3. Pirates CF Starling Marte went 1-for-3 on Saturday, lowering his batting average to .415 over his last 10 contests.