Brewers vs Pirates Preview: Milwaukee Looks to Take Division Lead
Pirates Enter Series Off Sweep of San Diego

The Milwaukee Brewers visit Pittsburgh to open a three-game series with the Pirates on Friday. The Brewers were expected to be in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Pirates weren’t. But the Brewers vs Pirates preview notes Pittsburgh is just 4.5 games out of the division lead after completing a sweep of San Diego on Thursday.
The Brewers are the lowest-scoring team in the National League. The pitching staff has kept Milwaukee in games, but eventually the offense is going to have to carry its weight. The Brewers are hitting .226 as a team, which is No. 29 in MLB. Milwaukee is No. 28 in slugging percentage and No. 25 in on-base percentage. It’s little wonder the team isn’t scoring any runs.
The Brewers are No. 14 in team ERA. Several of their starters are having down years by their standards, so there is some hope Milwaukee’s pitching will get into the top 10. The Brewers’ bullpen has converted 21 saves out of 30 attempts.
The Pirates are slightly below average in both pitching and hitting. Pittsburgh is No. 17 in team batting average and No. 19 in team ERA. With their stats you’d expect the Pirates to be a few games below .500, which is exactly where they are. Pittsburgh has been a bit better at home, where the team is 21-19 compared to 17-23 on the road.
Closer David Bednar is among the MLB stat leaders is save percentage, converting 16 of 17 attempts. Milwaukee’s Devin Williams is 15 for 16 on save attempts, so a one-run lead should be pretty safe in the ninth inning with these two teams.
Friday’s Game
The Brewers vs Pirates preview has Freddy Peralta going for the Brewers. Pittsburgh will send Osvaldo Bido to the hill. The Brewers are -133/+123 and the total on the game is 9.5-over (-115/105). Peralta is having a down season, entering the game with a 5-7 record and an ERA of 4.65.
The Brewers are 7-8 when he starts. Bido has pitched to a 3.45 ERA this season, but Pittsburgh has lost all three of his starts. Two of his starts came against the Cubs.
The last time Peralta was sent off as a road favorite, the Brewers lost 18-1 to St. Louis. Milwaukee is 5-6 as a road favorite this season, with Peralta 0-2 in that role this season. The Pirates are a profitable 13-13 as a home underdog this season in the Brewers vs Pirates standings, have proven to be profitable in such situations. The MLB predictions lean to the Pirates as an underdog in this one.
Saturday’s Game
The Brewers vs Pirates preview has Milwaukee sending Burnes to the mound, where he’ll once again be a road favorite. The Pirates are starting Johan Oviedo, who has thrown better than his 3-8 record would indicate. Burnes is 5-5 on the season with a 4.10 ERA. Oviedo is 3-8 with a 4.06 ERA.
Milwaukee is 8-8 when Burnes starts and 10-6 in totals, due to the Brewers allowing 5.12 runs per game when Burnes throws. On the road, the Brewers are 4-4.
The Pirates have gone 6-10 with Oviedo on the mound and have lost his last four starts. Scoring just three runs in those four games didn’t help, but Oviedo should be used to little run support. In his 16 starts, the Pirates have scored two runs or less 10 times. If the total comes out at 8.0 or higher, the under could be the way to go here.
Sunday’s Game
Colin Rea is expected to start for the Brewers against veteran left-hander Rich Hill. Rea is 4-4 on the year with a 4.57 ERA, while Hill is 7-7 with a 4.45 ERA for the Pirates. The Brewers are 8-5 when Rea starts and have won six of the last eight times he’s taken the mound. Pittsburgh is 8-8 in the games Hill has started.
Hill is still getting the job done at 43 years old, fanning 80 batters in 89 innings. He’s allowing opponents to hit .264 against him, as age has caught up to him a bit. He’s still productive and eating up some innings, which is what Pittsburgh needs. Rea is pitching well enough to remain in the rotation. He’s had a long battle to get back to Major League Baseball and is making the most of it. This is another game where the under could be worth a look if the total comes out at 9.0 or higher.
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