Pittsburgh will try to win consecutive games for the second time in three weeks when it faces Milwaukee on Monday night. The Pirates snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 5-0 win over Philadelphia on Sunday. Milwaukee is trying to win its third straight game after beating the Cubs twice this weekend.
Pittsburgh has only won three games in its last 16 tries, but one of those victories came against Philadelphia on Sunday. The Pirates had been swept by Atlanta and blown out in the first two games against the Phillies, but they were able to salvage the series with Sunday’s win. They are amid a six-game road trip that is going to wrap up on Wednesday when this series concludes. Pittsburgh is in last place in the National League Central, trailing St. Louis by a whopping 25 games. The Pirates have been virtually eliminated from playoff contention since early in the season.
Bubba with a blast! pic.twitter.com/sQ13c9NLD9
— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) August 28, 2022
They have been a terrible offensive team this season, ranked No. 29 in batting average (.220). Center fielder Bryan Reynolds leads the way with 103 hits, including 21 home runs. Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes has added 102 base knocks and is one of the few bright spots on the team. They will be facing a Milwaukee pitching staff that is No. 15 with an ERA of 3.88. JT Brubaker was lined up to start this game for Pittsburgh, but he was placed on the paternity list on Sunday. The Pirates have not announced their starting pitcher, but Jerad Eickhoff is a possible option. He allowed 10 runs in his debut against the Cubs in June before being sent down to Triple-A. They have kept him on the roster as a swingman, making him an option to start this game.