Milwaukee brings the best record in the sport into PNC Park for a doubleheader nightcap, and Pittsburgh's shorthanded lineup has to find a way to slow down a team that's been unbeatable.
Bush’s PicksPicks madeJul 11, 4:13 AM CT
-128-126MILPIT+116
+128+124MIL -1.5PIT +1.5-137
-111-135Over 8.5Under 8.5+118
Best BetBrewers -126
Milwaukee's price reflects a team that's simply been better at everything lately, and Drohan gives them a real edge on the mound today. Pittsburgh's offense can hang in flashes, but asking a shaky rotation piece to hold down the best record in baseball is a tough ask. Back the Brewers to win outright here.
Brewers
+Best record in baseball at 59-34
+Drohan dealing since taking over rotation spot
+Won 3 of 4 vs Cardinals last week
−Woodruff out 15-day IL with shoulder injury
−Harrison day-to-day, straining rotation depth
−Second game of a doubleheader, taxed pitching staff
−Rough recent stretch, alternating blowouts vs Atlanta
This one's a matinee-into-nightcap special after Friday's series opener got rained out, and Game 2 pits Shane Drohan against Bubba Chandler in about as lopsided a form matchup as you'll find. Drohan (4-2, 2.97 ERA) has been a legit stopper for Milwaukee since taking over a rotation spot, coming off a win over the Cardinals where he worked 6.0 innings and allowed just 1 earned run. Chandler (3-8, 4.82 ERA) is still trying to find it, and his last time out against Washington was a mess — 4 walks and 4 earned runs in only 4.0 innings.
Pittsburgh's lineup is banged up in ways that matter. Oneil Cruz is out with a hand injury, Endy Rodriguez is dealing with a hip issue, Konnor Griffin is nursing a torn finger tendon and Spencer Horwitz is working back from a hamstring problem — that's four key pieces missing from a team that's actually been quietly productive at the plate this year. Milwaukee isn't fully healthy either. Brandon Woodruff remains on the 15-day IL with a shoulder capsule injury, and Kyle Harrison is day-to-day with elbow soreness, so the Brewers are leaning hard on arms like Drohan to carry the load.
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MIL Brewers
PIT Pirates
None of that has slowed Milwaukee down. The Brewers own the best record in baseball at 59-34, and they've been playing like it — they took 3 of 4 from St. Louis last week, including a 10-2 blowout, before Friday's rainout against the Pirates. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, sits dead even at 47-47 and has been streaky, alternating blowout wins and shutout losses against Atlanta over the past week.
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
Recent form.
The Pirates' problem isn't really the bats — Pittsburgh's offense has quietly ranked among the better run-scoring clubs in the league this season behind Paul Skenes' teammates doing damage in the lineup. The issue has been keeping games close late, and a rotation that's supposed to be led by a former top pitching prospect in Chandler hasn't given the bullpen much of a cushion. That gap shows up glaringly against a Brewers team built to grind out at-bats and pounce on mistakes.
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.
Milwaukee's whole operation right now is about depth absorbing injuries without missing a beat, and Drohan is exhibit A — a guy who got knocked around in his debut, got sent down, and came back throwing strikes. Chandler needs a version of that same turnaround, and soon, because the walks have piled up all year and Pittsburgh doesn't have the margin for free baserunners against a lineup this hot. If the Pirates want to salvage anything out of this doubleheader split, it starts with Chandler finding the zone early.
