Brewers at Pirates
If Josh Bell ends up making a push toward winning the National League MVP, many voters will likely reflect on the historic month he just experienced. After completing one of the most productive months in franchise history, the 26-year-old slugger looks to remain red-hot at the plate to begin June on Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the third of four games against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Bell went 2-for-5 with an RBI single in Friday's 9-4 victory to finish with 94 total bases in May - a team record for a player in any month and the most by any major-leaguer in May since Willie Mays had 102 in 1958. The former second-round pick hit .390 in May with 12 home runs, 12 doubles and 31 RBIs as his 24 extra-base hits tied Paul Waner for the most in a month in club history, and he became only the third NL player ever to record 12 doubles and 12 homers in a single calendar month, joining Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson. One night after the top five hitters in the order went a combined a 15-for-28 with three homers and 10 RBIs, the same five Brewers could muster only one hit in 19 at-bats. Rookie Keston Hiura enjoyed the finest performance of his 15-game career, however, finishing 3-for-4 with a three-run blast as Milwaukee fell to 7-15 at PNC Park since the start of the 2017 season.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Brandon Woodruff (7-1, 3.22 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Nick Kingham (1-1, 8.28)
Woodruff extended his unbeaten streak to eight games Sunday against Philadelphia after yielding only one hit - a solo homer - and striking out a career-high 10 over eight innings. The Mississippi State product has earned the win in five of his last six starts, posting a 1.42 ERA and 0.82 WHIP over that span. Bell (2-for-5, double) and Starling Marte (1-for-4, home run) are the only two Pirates with an extra-base hit versus Woodruff, who gave up six runs across five frames in his only career start against Pittsburgh in 2017.
Kingham has yet to complete five innings and settled for a no-decision Monday in Cincinnati, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk over 4 2/3 innings. The Houston native endured a nightmarish May, going 0-1 with a 10.42 ERA while surrendering three homers and walking 11 in five appearances (three starts) spanning 19 frames. Christian Yelich (3-for-9) and Woodruff (1-for-1) have each homered off Kingham, who went 2-1 with a 7.80 ERA in four games (three starts) against Milwaukee last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Marte went 3-for-5 on Friday and has multiple hits in three of his last four games.
2. The Brewers, who have homered in eight straight contests, went deep twice Friday and boast a NL-high 98 for the season.
3. Pittsburgh OF Bryan Reynolds is batting .417 during a 10-game hitting streak. His .345 average for the season leads all qualified rookies.