Milwaukee @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2014 ) Milwaukee 1, Pittsburgh 0
A September swoon drastically diminished the Milwaukee Brewers’ odds of playing in October, but they managed to keep their dim hopes alive in their last time out. The Brewers look to cut their deficit for the National League’s second wild-card to 2½ games in Pittsburgh on Sunday when they meet the Pirates in the rubber match of a three-game set. Milwaukee stood atop the NL Central from April 4-Aug. 31, but a 7-12 mark in September has the team on the brink of missing the postseason.
The Brewers stopped a three-game skid and potentially saved their season with Saturday’s 1-0 victory, getting a sacrifice fly from Logan Schafer in the top of the ninth inning to win for only the second time in their last 13 road contests. Pittsburgh, which trails division leader St. Louis by 3½ games with seven days left in the regular season, hopes to bounce back from its latest shutout the same way it did from its previous one. The Pirates saw five-game winning streak snapped Saturday and had won 12 of 14 since the Cardinals handed them a 1-0 defeat in the teams’ final regular-season meeting Sept. 3.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Wily Peralta (15-4, 2.63 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Vance Worley (10-9, 3.09)
Peralta gave up two runs on three singles and a walk to the first five batters he faced during Tuesday’s 3-2 road victory over St. Louis, but allowed only two more hits thereafter and did not factor into the decision in his seven-inning outing. The 25-year-old Dominican has rebounded from a rough end to August (0-2 with a 14.63 ERA in two turns) to post three consecutive quality starts. Peralta is 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA all-time against the Pirates, including 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three outings versus this season.
After getting skipped in favor of Charlie Morton prior to his last scheduled turn, Worley will return to the mound for the first time in 11 days. The Long Beach State alum has won each of his last two decisions, getting the victory in Philadelphia on Sept. 10 after permitting three runs on four hits in five frames. Worley suffered his last loss Aug. 24 versus the Brewers – giving up four runs on a season-high 12 hits over 6 1/3 innings – to fall to 0-3 with a 5.48 ERA in four career starts against Milwaukee.
WALK-OFFS
1. Milwaukee closer Francisco Rodriguez needs one save to pass Randy Myers (347) for sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list.
2. Pittsburgh C Russell Martin is batting .357 with three homers and 14 RBIs during a season high-tying 11-game hitting streak.
3. The Brewers, who travel to Cincinnati for three games starting Tuesday, have scored a total of eight runs just over halfway through their nine-game road trip.
PREDICTION: Brewers 4, Pirates 2