Game Thread #93: Milwaukee Brewers (53-39) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (44-47)

Crew looks to bounce back in game two

After a rough loss to the Pirates, the Brewers look for a rebound with Tobias Myers taking the mound.

Myers’ incredible June certainly inspired the notion that Myers could be more than just a fill-in starter. His last two outings have been bumpy, allowing seven runs over 12 innings (5.25 ERA), but his xFIP over those two games is 3.68. He gave up some hard contact across those two starts, but part of what led to his run of form was inducing weak contact.

Since June 1, the Pirates have a collective 94 wRC+ against righties, ranking 20th in baseball. It will be on Myers’ shoulders to help stifle a Pittsburgh squad that blew open last night’s game.

The lineup takes a familiar look besides the recent swapping at third base. After Vinny Capra made a pair of starts, Andruw Monasterio is back in the lineup, batting eighth. In Joey Ortiz’s absence, the hot corner has been a puzzle for Milwaukee. Over the last 14 days, the Brewers have received a disastrous .170/.204/.213 (19 wRC+) slash line from their third basemen, according to FanGraphs.

The rest of the infield sees Willy Adames, Brice Turang, and Rhys Hoskins in their usual spots. Adames has struggled recently with just a .198 batting average since June 1, but he takes a four-game hitting streak into this matchup.

Jackson Chourio has become a staple atop the lineup as he leads off against lefty Martin Perez. Chourio has put up poor splits this year with just a .189 batting average against lefties. It shows the trust the team has in Chourio in his development moving forward. His performance against southpaws has been slightly better since June 1 with a .222 batting average, but it will be a fascinating factor in his development to follow.

With Chourio in left field, Blake Perkins takes center field with Sal Frelick in right field. This is one of the best defensive outfields in baseball, with Perkins (8th), Chourio (14th), and Frelick (36th) all among the best players in Defensive Runs Saved, according to Baseball Savant.

William Contreras will be on catching duties as he works with Myers to combat the Pittsburgh lineup.

That leaves Christian Yelich to take on the role of designated hitter tonight. Yelich’s impeccable season is his personal best since his standout 2019 campaign. He’s on pace for his lowest strikeout rate since 2018 and his best xwOBA since 2019.

Perez, the Pirates starter, has a 4.85 ERA this season and a 1-4 record. His season has been quite tumultuous, but his most recent start was a 7 ¹⁄₃ inning showing against the St. Louis Cardinals in which he allowed just one run. His performances have been so volatile, though, that he has a 7.23 ERA over the last five starts. It’s certainly an opportunity for the Brewers to take advantage of his bumpy form.

First pitch at 7:10 p.m. on Bally Sports Wisconsin and the Brewers Radio Network.