Pirates at Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are 6-3 in their last nine games, with five of those victories coming over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Brewers will try to continue their dominance over the division rivals when they host the Pirates in the finale of a three-game series Sunday.
Milwaukee, which is trying to hold off the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central, took three of four at Pittsburgh last weekend and earned a 10-4 victory in the series opener Friday before outlasting the Pirates 5-3 on Saturday. Pittsburgh tried to work around reigning MVP Christian Yelich and walked him twice in five plate appearances Saturday but served up home runs to Mike Moustakas and Manny Pina in the setback. The Pirates are trying to stay in the race in the Central but fell three games below .500 after the latest loss and are 5-11 in their last 16 contests. Pittsburgh will try to bounce back Sunday behind left-hander Steven Brault while Milwaukee goes for the sweep with righty Chase Anderson on the mound.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Steven Brault (2-1, 5.45 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Chase Anderson (3-1, 3.93)
Brault is bouncing between the bullpen and the rotation this season but will be making his third consecutive start Sunday. The 27-year-old needed 93 pitches to get through four innings against Atlanta on Tuesday and allowed two runs (one earned), five hits and three walks without factoring in the decision. Brault made six relief appearances against Milwaukee last season and was reached for a total of seven runs and eight hits in 7 2/3 innings.
Anderson began the year in the bullpen but is making his seventh straight start Sunday after a rough outing against lowly Miami on Tuesday. The 31-year-old was ripped for four runs on seven hits (three homers) in four innings by the Marlins and has yet to record an out in the sixth inning this season. Anderson picked up a win at Pittsburgh on May 30 while allowing two runs and six hits in five frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates OF Corey Dickerson (shoulder) and 3B Jung Ho Kang (left side strain) were activated from the injured list Saturday and combined to go 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.
2. Moustakas homered six times in the last eight games, bringing his season total to 19.
3. Pittsburgh 1B Josh Bell raised his major league-leading RBI total to 57 with a sacrifice fly Saturday.