A rainout turned Saturday into a doubleheader marathon at PNC Park, and the NL Central's runaway leader is walking into the opener against the guy who's been unhittable for a month.
Bush’s PicksPicks madeJul 11, 8:33 AM CT
-107+104MILPIT-113
-204MIL +1.5PIT -1.5+192+181
-113-104Over 8.5Under 8.5-108
Best BetBrewers +104
Milwaukee's the better team from top to bottom and it's basically a pick'em price, which is real value given they own the best record in baseball. Sproat's ERA is the risk here, but Ashcraft draws a Brewers lineup that's been hitting everything in sight in St. Louis. Back the Brewers to win outright at a number that undersells the talent gap.
Brewers
+Best record in MLB at 59-34
+Just swept a doubleheader in St. Louis
−Woodruff (shoulder) and Harrison (elbow) both compromised
−Sproat carries a 5.13 ERA into the opener
Pirates
+Ashcraft an All-Star, won 4 straight starts
+3.24 team ERA anchor at the top of the rotation
−Just a .500 team at 47-47 on the year
−Lost SS Konnor Griffin for 8-10 weeks, still missing Cruz
Milwaukee rolls in at 59-34, the best record in baseball, fresh off sweeping a Cardinals doubleheader in St. Louis earlier this week. Rookie Brandon Sproat (3-4, 5.13) gets the ball for the Brewers in the 12:05 PM ET opener, drawing Pittsburgh's Braxton Ashcraft (9-3, 3.24), who's been the best story in the Pirates' rotation all season.
Ashcraft isn't a name casual fans knew in March. Now he's an All-Star replacement for Paul Skenes, winner of 4 straight starts and 8 of his last 9 decisions, sitting on 122 strikeouts through 18 outings. Sproat, by contrast, is still finding his footing — he opened the year homer-prone and shaky, though a 10-strikeout gem against Cincinnati last month suggested the stuff is starting to catch up to the results.
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MIL Brewers
PIT Pirates
Both rotations are banged up behind their starters. Milwaukee just lost Brandon Woodruff to shoulder capsule concerns and is monitoring Kyle Harrison's elbow soreness, forcing the front office to add reliever Bryse Wilson on the eve of this doubleheader for bullpen depth. Pittsburgh's issues are more about the lineup than the arms.
Milwaukee Brewers
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Pittsburgh Pirates
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
The Pirates were already replacing Oneil Cruz's bat before losing shortstop Konnor Griffin for 8-10 weeks with a torn tendon in his finger — a gut punch for a roster that was starting to find its footing around Ashcraft. Spencer Horwitz and Endy Rodriguez are also out, which leaves Pittsburgh's lineup thin heading into a marathon day against a Brewers pitching staff that, injuries aside, still has the deeper pool of arms to pull from.
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
Recent form.
Milwaukee's last 5 tell the story of a team that keeps finding ways to win, capped by Friday's rainout that pushed this game to a twin bill. Pittsburgh split its last homestand against Atlanta and has quietly played its way back to .500 behind Ashcraft's stretch — good enough to make this closer than the standings gap suggests, especially with a fresh bullpen and a full day of baseball still ahead for both sides.
