PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES: Have lost four straight and five of their last six games…Have lost four straight games on the road since winning each of the final two games on their last series on the road at San Francisco from 5/30-31…Have had four separate winning streaks of at least four games this season, including a season-high seven-game winning streak from 4/17-23…Are in second place for the first time since 6/8…Began this month 1.0 game behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.
ABOUT TODAY’S STARTER: Mitch Keller will start today after allowing one run in 7.0 innings while winning a 2-1 decision against the Mets Sunday at PNC Park…Keller is 5-1 with a 3.50 ERA in his last seven starts, losing for the only time on June 6 vs. Oakland at PNC Park.
ON THE ROAD: Mitch Keller is 4-1 in seven starts this season on the road, including wins in each of his last three outings… Keller’s only road loss this season came on May 3 at Tampa Bay when he allowed five runs (1er) in 5.0 innings.
LOVING LEFTIES: The Pirates are hitting .268 against left-handed pitchers this season, which ranks sixth in MLB…Rodolfo Castro ranks seventh in MLB with a .676 slugging percentage against southpaws (he is also 4-for-7 in his career against Wade Miley)… Carlos Santana is 7-for-14 lifetime against Miley.
SWITCHING THINGS UP: Carlos Santana has gone deep twice in his last three and three times in his last seven contests…Santana has also collected six RBI in his last three games, including a season-high four RBI Wednesday at Wrigley Field.
SHOW TIME: Friday night Carmen Mlodzinski became the fifth Pirate to make his Major League debut this season…Mlodzinski joined Jose Hernandez, Cody Bolton, Drew Maggi and Osvaldo Bido.
FEELING THE DRAFT: Carmen Mlodzinski became the first member of Pittsburgh’s 2020 draft class to make his big league debut after doing so last night…Pittsburgh’s 2020 draft also featured No. 7 overall pick Nick Gonzales, who entered this season rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 8
prospect among second baseman…Right-handed pitcher Jared Jones, who was selected 44th overall in the second round, has a 2.23 ERA (44.1ip/11er) in 10 starts this season at Double-A Altoona.
PIRATING: Ji Hwan Bae picked up his 20th stolen base of the season Friday night, which are the most among all National League rookies and second overall in the league (Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. leads the NL with thirty)…Bae’s 20 stolen bases are the most by a Pittsburgh rookie since Andrew McCutchen swiped 22 in 2009…McCutchen’s total was the most stolen bases by a Bucco rookie since Tony Womack set the club record for a rookie with 60 stolen bases in 1997.
YOUNG HAYES: Ke’Bryan Hayes has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games, going 23-for58 (.397) with three doubles, two triples, two homers, 13 RBI and 1.017 OPS…Since May 31, Hayes’ .397 average ranks fifth in MLB behind Miami’s Luis Arraez (.433), Los Angeles’ Shohei Ohtani (.433), Cleveland’s Josh Naylor (.421) and Atlanta’s Orlando Arcia (.404).
DAURI DEALING: Dauri Moreta tossed 1.2 scoreless innings Friday…Since May 1, Moreta Has an 0.45 ERA (20.0ip/1er), 27 strikeouts and .134 batting average against in 19 appearances…Moreta’s 0.45 ERA since May 1 is the lowest among all relievers in MLB with at least 20.0 innings pitched.
STARTING PITCHER – 23 – RHP MITCH KELLER
MITCH KELLER: The 27-year-old righthander will make his 15th start of the season this afternoon…He allowed one run over 7.0 innings while winning a 2-1 decision against Carlos Carrasco of the Mets in his last start on Sunday.
VS. MILWAUKEE: 0-2 with a 3.98 ER A(20.1ip/9er) in four career starts…Went 0-1 in three starts last season; gave up just one run (a solo homer by Rowdy Tellez) in a 4-2 Bucco loss to Brandon Woodruff on 4/20 at American Family Field, had a no-decision on 4/26 at PNC Park (4.2ip/4er) and had 10 strikeouts in a no-decision on 8/30 at Milwaukee…Also surrendered two runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings while losing a 6-0 decision in the second game of a doubleheader last season at PNC Park on 8/14.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS NOTES:
Today’s Transactions
LHP Wade Miley was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and will start this afternoon’s game…..OF Jesse Winker was reinstated from the 10-day injured list…..RHP Tyson Miller was optioned to Triple-A Nashville…..1B Jon Singleton was designated for assignment.
It’s About Time
The Brewers and Pirates are in the midst of their first series of the year…..it is the longest into a season (69th game) the Brewers faced a
division opponent for the first time since 2004 when they first played the Cubs in their 80th game on 7/5/04.
But I Don’t Wanna Be a Pirate!
Milwaukee is 123-63 all-time against Pittsburgh at American Family Field, its best winning percentage (.661) at home against any National League opponent…..the Brewers have won 24 of their last 32 home games over the Pirates dating back to 2019.
Wink Show
Jesse Winker is a career .333 (52- for-156) hitter against Pittsburgh, the fourth-highest mark against the Pirates among active players (min.
150 PA)…..Winker has batted .538 (14- for-26) with 3 HR and 10 RBI against the Pirates since 2021, collecting multiple hits in 6 of 7 games.
Thou Shall Not Pass
The Brewers lead the National League with 15 outfield assists this season, trailing only the Tigers (16) for the most in the Major Leagues.
Rebel Yeli
Christian Yelich is batting .361 (13- for-36) with 5 doubles, 2 HR, 5 RBI and 7 runs over his last 9 games.
What’s Our Vector, Victor?
Victor Caratini is 8-for-14 (.571) with 1 HR and 3 RBI over his last 5 games….. he has recorded multiple hits in 3 of his last 4 starts.
One and Done
The Brewers are 11-4 (.733) in 1-run games…..the Marlins at 18-5 (.783) are the only team better in MLB.
TODAY’S GAME: Is game 2 (1-0) of a 6-game homestand against Pittsburgh (1-0) and Arizona (3g)…..following this homestand and an off day next Thursday, the team embarks on a 10-game road trip to Cleveland (3g), New York-NL (4g) and Pittsburgh (3g)…..it is the second and final 10-game trip of the season for the Brewers (April 10-19).
IN THE TRAINER’S ROOM: RHP Jason Alexander (right rotator cuff), LHP Aaron Ashby (left labrum), RHP Matt Bush (right rotator cuff), RHP Jake Cousins (right shoulder), OF Garrett Mitchell (left shoulder), 1B Darin Ruf (right knee), LHP Bennett Sousa (left shoulder), OF Tyrone Taylor (right elbow), LHP Justin Wilson (left elbow) and RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) are on the injured list…..Alexander, Ashby, Mitchell, Ruf, Wilson and Woodruff are on the 60-day injured list.
SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Brewers are 10-12-0 in series play
Game 1: 10-13, Game 2: 13-9, Game 3: 10-11, Game 4: 2-1
Sweep Wins (3): vs. NYM (3g, 4/3-4/5), at SEA (3g, 4/17-4/19), vs. KC (3g, 5/12-5/14)
Sweep Losses (3): at COL (3g, 5/2-5/4), vs. OAK (3g, 6/9-6/11), at MIN (2g, 6/13-6/14)
AT HOME: The Brewers are 19-16 at home, going 6-5-0 in series play…..the Brewers went 46-35 at home last season, going 15-8-4 in series play.
ON THE ROAD: The Brewers are 16-18 on the road, going 4-7-0 in series play…..the team went 40-41 on the road last season, going 9-12-5 in series play.
LET’S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE: The Brewers have made 15 replay challenges this season, going 7-8…..their last challenge (won) came on 6/14 at Minnesota as a safe call at second base involving Joey Gallo in the third inning was overturned.
TODAY’S STARTER: #20 – LHP WADE MILEY (8gs, 3-2, 3.67)
MILEY AT A GLANCE: Wade Miley, 36, is making his ninth start of the season…..he returns from the 15-day injured list, where he was placed on May 17 with a left lat strain….. he made a rehab start with Double-A Biloxi last Sunday at Mississippi (5ip, 4h, 0r, 1bb, 5k, 1wp, 65 pitches)…..his last start with the Brewers came on 5/16 at St. Louis as he had no decision in a 3-2 win, leaving the game due to injury (1.2ip, 1h, 1r, 1er, 1bb, 0k, 1hr, 22 pitches)…..the team is 5-3 in his starts…..he has made 4 quality starts…..opponents are batting .238 (38-for-160, 6hr)…..Miley signed as a free agent with Milwaukee on January 9…..he is signed through the 2023 season with a mutual option for 2024.
WELCOME BACK!: Miley returned to Milwaukee, where he pitched in 2018 for the National League Central champions and went 5-2 with a 2.57 ERA in 16 starts…..he went on to make 4 starts during the postseason, posting a 1.23 ERA (14.2ip, 2er), as the team went on to advance to the seventh game of the NLCS against Los Angeles.
LAST SEASON: Miley went 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 9 games/8 starts with Chicago-NL last season…..he missed most of the season while spending time on the injured list on three occasions: 4/7-5/9 (left elbow inflammation), 5/29-6/9 (left shoulder strain) and 6/11-9/5 (left shoulder strain).
CAREER: Is 102-96 with a 4.12 ERA in 300 games/293 starts (1659.2ip, 759er)…..is in his 13th Major League season with Arizona (2011-14), Boston (2015), Seattle (2016), Baltimore (2016-17), Milwaukee (2018, ‘23), Houston (2019), Cincinnati (2020-21) and Chicago-NL (2022)…..was an All-Star with the Diamondbacks in 2012…..he threw a no-hitter with the Reds on 5/7/21 at Cleveland…..Miley was selected by Arizona in the supplemental first round (43rd overall) of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Southeastern Louisiana University.
CAREER AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD: Is 6-3 with a 4.16 ERA in 16 starts (75.2ip, 35er)…..is 2-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 4 starts this season (22ip, 10er).
CAREER ON THE ROAD: Is 49-51 with a 3.99 ERA in 159 games/157 starts (883ip, 391er)…..is 1-1 with a 3.20 ERA in 4 starts this season (19.2ip, 7er).
CAREER vs. PIRATES: Is 5-5 with a 3.27 ERA in 15 starts (82.2ip, 30er), including 1-1 with a 0.82 ERA in 2 starts last season (11ip, 1er).
