Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers Round 2: What To Expect
After a tough series against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the Pittsburgh Pirates can take solace in the fact that they are heading to a place where they have historically not played very well. It doesn't sound that fun, but it is what the Pirates have to go through as they head to American Family Field in Milwaukee for a three-game weekend series with the Brewers. Surprisingly, this is only the second meeting between these two teams here in late June, as the teams last faced off in the middle of April. That was during a stretch that saw the Pirates start the season 12-11, and perform above and beyond any fan expectations at that point in the year. The Pirates would end up taking two of the three games in that opening series, but a lot has changed since that series on both sides of the battle.
The Brewers are now one of the teams battling for the top spot in the National League Central Division, while the Pirates have come back down to Earth, and currently sit a season-high 14 games under .500. May was a devastating month for the Pirates, seeing the team go 8-22, but for the Brewers, the month had the opposite effect. The Brewers had a pretty average month of May, going 13-15, and they slowly but surely were able to climb their way back towards the top of the National League Central Division. While the Pirates had success on their last trip to the newly named American Family Field, they can't take anything for granted when they face the Brewers. Today, we take a look at what to expect as the Pirates look to make it back-to-back series wins against the Brew Crew to start the 2021 season.
What Happened Last Time
The last time these two teams met was from April 16th through the 18th in Milwaukee. In a place where the Pirates had been historically bad, they were able to turn things around and play good baseball taking two out of the three games, and scoring 13 runs in the series. It was a big series by Bryan Reynolds that helped lead the Pirates to victory and helped the offense score a combined 13 runs. Reynolds hit .556 during that three-game stretch against the Brewers with a home run and three RBI, and it was a series that got his season going after a slow start. This time, Reynolds is still in that three spot and is supplemented by rookie sensation Ke'Bryan Hayes, who was not in the series against the Brewers due to his wrist strain back in April. In a ballpark that is notorious for being a home run hitters paradise, the Pirates offense has to be ready to go toe-to-toe with the Brewers.
Powering the Brewers over the last week or so has been the hot bats of Omar Narvaez and newly acquired Willy Adames. It was a battle between Narvaez and Manny Pina out of spring training for the starting catcher spot with the Brewers, and it was Narvaez who won out. He has ended up being one of the most consistent hitters in the Brewers lineup this season and is hitting .333 with two home runs and three RBI over his last seven games. His average has never dipped below the .300 mark this season, and he is always a threat in the middle of the lineup. After the Brewers lost Kolten Wong to injury, they went out and swung a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for Willy Adames. It has been a move that has worked as he has provided stability at the top of that Brewers lineup and has hit .304 with a home run and two RBI in his last seven games. Both bats will be ones to watch for Pirates pitchers as they try to keep the Brewers off the board.
Key Offensive Pieces Lead The Way
With American Family Field being a notorious home run hitters park, it is going to be up to the Pirates offensive leaders to lead the way. That means guys like Bryan Reynolds, Colin Moran, Adam Frazier, and Ke'Bryan Hayes will have to be on top of their games to keep up with the Brewers. Reynolds has already proven his success against the Brewers this season, hitting .556 at Miller Park in the first three-game series of the year. Since that series earlier in the year, things have gotten even better for Reynolds. He has raised his batting average over the .280 mark and currently leads the team, hitting his 10th home run and driving in RBI's 29 and 30 in yesterday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has shown that last year's numbers were not indicative of his real skill and he can be a very productive player for the Pirates moving forward.
However, the Pirates offense does add Ke'Bryan Hayes this time around, a guy they didn't have in the last series due to injury. The Brewers are a team that has not yet seen Ke'Bryan Hayes since making his MLB Debut last September 3rd. With Hayes's power and ability to hit the ball to the gap, he could have a field day at American Family Field and help set up the middle of the order for success. One guy who needs to turn it around against the Brewers is Colin Moran, who hit just .182 against the Brewers last time. Barring that he doesn't have to go on the IL again after being hit in the wrist on Tuesday, Moran is the guy the Pirates have gone to for Power this season. He has been solid so far, with his average up at .292 with four home runs and 20 RBI. In hitter-friendly American Family Field, and with a top of the order that has been getting on base consistently, Moran should have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs. If he can take advantage of those opportunities, the Pirates will be in good shape against an old nemesis.
Ride The Backs of the Bullpen
While the starters have had their ups and downs this season, one thing that has remained consistent for the Pirates has been their strong bullpen. As a group, they have posted a 3.67 ERA this season, good for ninth-best all if baseball. If the starters give the team a chance to win, odds are the bullpen will be able to keep the opponents off the board. At the start of the year, it was the back-end of the bullpen leading the charge, but since then the middle relievers have not only caught up to but have surpassed the back-end. Led by Sam Howard and Clay Holmes, the relievers are standing inherited runners at a high rate and are giving the Pirates a chance to win in close games.
Holmes, in his last chance with the Pirates, has had a year to remember posting a 2.84 ERA over 26 games this season. He has not allowed an earned run since April 21st against Detroit and has allowed an opponent batting average of just .214 this season. Holmes struggled through injuries and ineffectiveness throughout his early career and was almost run out of Pittsburgh. However, Ben Cherington and his team saw something in Holmes and brought him back in a move that has worked out for the Pirates. The other reliever who has been on fire is left-hander Sam Howard. Howard has don't 2-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 22.2 innings of work. Since he came over as a waiver claim from Colorado before the 2020 season, Howard has far exceeded all expectations and has turned into a fixture in the bullpen. With both of these guys bridging the gap to the back-end of the bullpen, if the team can score runs they will be able to hold it.
Game one between the Pittsburgh Pirates (23-38) and the Milwaukee Brewers (35-27) is scheduled for 8:10 pm in Milwaukee. Chase De Jong (0-0, 5.40) makes his third Pirates start against Brandon Woodruff (4-2, 1.42) for the Brewers. You can watch the game live on AR&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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