Pirates to halt losing streak vs. Brewers?
It’s entirely too early in the MLB season to obsess about the standings. By the same token, Pittsburgh recognizes that the National League Central rarely takes a night off.
That’s why Clint Hurdle’s club is intent on snapping a three-game skid before ceding any more ground in the division race. The Pirates welcome the Brewers to town at 7:05 p.m. ET, and oddsmakers prefer PNC Park’s regular inhabitants in this spot. Online sports book Bovada.lv lists the Buccos as 1.5-run favorites, with the over/under total at 7.5 runs.
Yesterday afternoon, Pittsburgh fell for the fifth time in six contests. Three-hit efforts from David Freese and John Jaso weren’t enough to prevent a 7-4 loss to Detroit. While ace Gerrit Cole didn’t display his finest stuff, spotty offense continued to plague the Steel City above all else. All-Stars Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte just haven’t been themselves after bludgeoning the Cardinals to begin the campaign.
Perhaps they can find traction against this evening’s Milwaukee starter. Jimmy Nelson gave up merely two runs vs. Houston over the weekend, but McCutchen (3 for 7 with two doubles) and fellow outfielder Gregory Polanco tend to inflict great pain on the righty. Craig Counsell’s best current option on the mound also laid an egg in last September’s encounter with the Pirates, surrendering four runs over five-plus frames.
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The Brewers’ offense may not accomplish a lot vs. southpaw Jeff Locke, either. Roughly 24 hours ago, St. Louis lefty Jaime Garcia held Ryan Braun and company to a solitary base knock. The 5-0 defeat was a dispiriting finish to an otherwise solid series at Busch Stadium.
At one point in 2015, Pittsburgh had dropped seven straight to the Brew Crew. Hurdle recognizes that such poor play in head-to-head competition with lower-echelon squads simply won’t work moving forward. Bank on a heightened sense of urgency from the host team tonight.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: PIRATES -1.5
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