Brewers at Pirates
The Milwaukee Brewers are a hot team entering Tuesday's road contest against the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates as they attempt to chase down a playoff spot. The Brewers recorded a 3-0 victory in Monday's opener of the three-game set and have tallied 60 runs while winning eight of their past 10 games.
The latest triumph moved the Brewers 3 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central and two games in back of the Colorado Rockies for the second wild-card spot. Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun went 2-for-3 with a homer on Monday and is 7-for-16 with two homers, two doubles and three walks over the past four games. While the Brewers are touching home plate with high frequency, Pittsburgh is on the other spectrum by scoring two or fewer runs in seven of the past eight games. The setback in the opener of an eight-game homestand was the Pirates' sixth in a row and 11th in the last 12 games.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Chase Anderson (10-3, 2.88 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Trevor Williams (6-8, 4.26)
Anderson has won back-to-back starts as well as three consecutive decisions. The 29-year-old is 5-3 with a 3.43 ERA in 12 road starts, compared to a perfect 5-0 home mark. Anderson is 5-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 10 career starts against Pittsburgh -- and 2-0 with a 2.43 ERA in two 2017 starts, including a victory in his last turn when he gave up two runs (one earned) and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Williams lost to St. Louis in his last outing and has dropped four of its past five decisions. The 25-year-old gave up four runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Cardinals, marking the third time in his last five outings that he pitched five or fewer innings. Williams allowed three runs and six hits in six innings during a no-decision on June 21 in his lone career start against Milwaukee.
WALK-OFFS
1. Monday's victory was only the Brewers' second in eight games at PNC Park this season.
2. Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli (quadriceps) was shut down for the rest of the season - he last played on Aug. 25.
3. Milwaukee OF Domingo Santana (back), who has eight RBIs in his past four games, sat out the opener but should return Tuesday.