Pirates at Brewers
The red-hot Andrew McCutchen is torturing Milwaukee pitchers and looks for his third straight strong performance in the series when the Pittsburgh Pirates visit the Brewers on Wednesday. McCutchen homered and drove in three runs for the second consecutive night as Pittsburgh rolled to a 7-3 victory on Tuesday - its eighth triumph in the last nine meetings with the Brewers.
McCutchen, who has hit 30 career homers against Milwaukee, has gone 5-for-8 in the series to continue a strong month in which he is batting .406 with six blasts and 19 RBIs in 64 at-bats. The 30-year-old has gone deep five times in his last seven games and recorded nine multi-hit efforts this month while increasing his batting average 45 points to .268. Milwaukee has scored just six runs over its last three contests and needs to win the next two in order to gain a series split. Eric Thames has struck out seven times in nine hitless at-bats in the series and is 0-for-12 during the Brewers' sudden offensive funk.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Pittsburgh, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Trevor Williams (3-3, 5.16 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Junior Guerra (1-1, 2.84)
Williams has gone two starts without receiving a decision, allowing eight runs in nine innings during the stretch. The rocky outings followed a stellar one against the New York Mets in which he gave up one run and seven hits over seven frames of an 11-1 victory on June 4. The 25-year-old Williams, who has made one career relief appearance against Milwaukee, is 3-2 with a 4.94 ERA in seven road games (four starts) this season.
Guerra is winless in his last three starts and has walked 11 batters over 17 innings during the stretch. The 32-year-old did not factor in the decision against San Diego in his last turn, when he allowed four runs - three earned - on two hits (both homers) and four walks over six frames. Guerra is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Pirates.
WALK-OFFS
1. Brewers INF Eric Sogard is 13-for-32 with four walks during his eight-game hitting streak.
2. Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli was scratched from Tuesday's lineup due to flu-like symptoms.
3. Milwaukee reportedly signed RHP Tom Wilhelmsen, who was released by Arizona on Monday, to a minor-league contract and he will join Triple-A Colorado Springs later this week.