NL Central foes will close out a three-game series on Thursday afternoon when the Milwaukee Brewers visit the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Pittsburgh is going for the unxpected sweep after winning the first two tilts including a wild 8-7 triumph on Wednesday to cash in as a big +182 underdog. Milwaukee remains atop the division at 57-47, while the Pirates are still in last place at 42-62 for the season.
The Pirates have been competitive in this season series as Milwaukee only holds a 9-6 head-to-head advantage despite the difference in records.
In arguably the strangest move of the deadline, the Brewers shipped off closer Josh Hader to San Diego while adding new faces to the bullpen with other deals, but the unit couldn't get the job done in a slugfest against the Pirates on Wednesday. Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez both provided a pair of run-scoring singles that helped Milwaukee tie the score at seven in the top of the eighth, only for Pittsburgh to walk it off in the ninth.
Freddy Peralta came off a lengthy IL stint to toss 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four. Devin Williams took a rare loss, allowing the game-winning solo homer to the only batter he faced. Tellez was on base three times, while Adames drove in four overall.
Milwaukee is down a good chunk on the money line despite the solid overall record while going just 44-60 on the run line. Overs are 52-45-7 for the Brewers including 1-0-1 in this series thus far.
This offense has climbed all the way to sixth in the Majors at 4.63 runs per game on a .739 OPS, also sixth-best in the league. Milwaukee pitching has been a top 10 unit as well with a 3.85 ERA including a mark of 3.90 from a bullpen that underwent major changes at the trade deadline.
Adames has been Milwaukee's best position player at 2.8 WRA on a .759 OPS, 21 homers and 61 driven in. Rowdy Tellez is having a productive season as a power hitter, posting a .761 OPS with 21 homers and 68 RBI.
Brandon Woodruff will take the mound for the 16th time, having turned in another fantastic campaign thus far with a 9-3 record, 3.55 ERA and 101:24 K:BB ratio over 78.2 innings overall. The 29-year-old has been sharp of late, and held the Boston Red Sox to one run on four hits and two walks on Friday, striking out nine in the win.
Utilityman Jace Pe terson (sprained elbow) and backup catcher Alex Jackson (sprained finger) are out. Starting pitcher Adrian Houser is recovering from a strained flexor tendon. Relievers Jake Cousins (elbow effusion), Jandel Gustave (forearm discomfort), Trevor Rosenthal (strained hamstring), Miguel Sanchez (elbow discomfort) and Justin Topa (flexor tendon surgery) are injured, while J.C. Mejia is serving a PED suspension.