Pirates at Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers have greatly improved their chances in the National League Central and will try to pick on one of the division's lesser teams when they begin a three-game series against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. A three-game sweep over the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field - capped by Sunday's 3-1 win - pulled the Brewers within two games of the Cubs in the division race.
Milwaukee, which has also crawled within three games of Colorado in the race for the second wild card, hosts Chicago for four games on its next homestand. Travis Shaw's two-run homer was the difference Sunday for the Brewers, who outscored the Cubs by a 20-3 margin in the series. The dominant stretch by Milwaukee pitching might continue against a Pirates squad that was blanked 7-0 on Sunday in St. Louis and has produced six runs total during a five-game losing streak. Pittsburgh won eight of the first 11 meetings this year before the Brewers swept a two-game set at home last month.
TV: 7:40 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Steven Brault (0-0, 5.79 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Brandon Woodruff (1-1, 1.52)
Brault made his first start of the season after six relief appearances Tuesday against the Cubs, giving up three runs over five innings in a no-decision. He is 0-3 with a 4.42 ERA in eight career starts while allowing opponents to hit .307. Three of those starts - and two of the losses - came last year against Milwaukee.
Woodruff was dominant against Washington his last time out, yielding a run and two hits with eight strikeouts in seven frames. The rookie has surrendered 17 hits - 15 singles - in 23 2/3 innings with Milwaukee. Woodruff walked just one batter against the Nationals after issuing eight free passes over his previous three starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Shaw has five home runs in 13 games against Pittsburgh this year.
2. Pirates LF Starling Marte is 1-for-19 over his last five games.
3. Milwaukee has slugged 202 home runs, tied for the fifth-highest total in franchise history.