Brewers at Pirates
A week ago the Pittsburgh Pirates were fighting to stay out of the National League Central cellar, but now they’re trying to finish off a rare five-game sweep of a Milwaukee Brewers team they just knocked out of the division lead. The Pirates have won seven of their last eight to pull within two games of .500, and they’ll try to go into the All-Star break with another win over the visiting Brewers on Sunday.
Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco hit back-to-back homers in both games of Pittsburgh’s doubleheader sweep on Saturday - the third duo in major league history to do so in both games of a twinbill, according to STATS. Milwaukee has dropped five straight to fall out of first place in the NL Central. The Brewers continued to struggle to deliver clutch hits, going 4-for-21 with runners in scoring position during the doubleheader as they scored only three runs despite 18 hits in the two games. Pittsburgh has won seven of nine meetings this season.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), ATT SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Jhoulys Chacin (8-3, 3.78 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Joe Musgrove (3-4, 3.77)
Chacin has won his last two starts, but he didn’t have his best stuff last time out. The 30-year-old Venezuelan allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings in a win at Miami, and he has just one quality start in his last four outings. Chacin is 2-4 with a 4.30 ERA in eight starts against the Pirates, but he has allowed only two runs over 12 1/3 innings across two meetings this season.
Musgrove returned from the disabled list to record a career-high nine strikeouts over five innings in a loss to Washington last time out. The 25-year-old allowed two runs and five hits but needed 96 pitches to get through five frames. Musgrove, who has never faced the Brewers, is 2-4 with a 4.73 ERA in six home starts this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates C Francisco Cervelli went back on the 7-day disabled list before Saturday’s doubleheader with post-concussive symptoms.
2. Milwaukee placed RF Eric Thames (right hamstring tightness) and RHP Junior Guerra (right forearm tightness) on the 10-day disabled list Saturday.
3. Marte is 18-for-43 with four homers and nine RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak.