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The Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers square off on Saturday with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at American Family Field in Milwaukee and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Zach Thompson (3-6, 4.42 ERA) will start for the Pirates and the Brewers will counter with Brandon Woodruff (7-3, 3.95 ERA).
Pittsburgh (34-50) has continued to show improvement as it incorporates more young players with promise into the lineup. Jack Suwinksi and Oneil Cruz have been added to the lineup as the Pirates started off the month of July with a 3-4 record to close out a homestand before shifting to the road. Despite falling to the Brewers 4-3 Friday night, the Pirates fought to the final out and nearly tied the game were it not for Kevin Newman being thrown out at the plate in a dramatic finish.
Milwaukee (48-37) has regained control of the NL Central after briefly relinquishing the top spot to the St. Louis Cardinals in June. The Brewers’ bullpen has slowly gotten healthier and it comes as a benefit with Milwaukee currently in the midst of a homestand. The Brewers survived for a 4-3 win over the Pirates on Friday night and will look to respond with a more convincing win on Saturday to take a 2-0 series lead.
Pirates vs. Brewers
Pitchers: Zach Thompson vs. Brandon Woodruff
First pitch: 4:10 p.m. ET
Pirates local broadcast: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
Brewers local broadcast: Bally Sports Wisconsin
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Odds, picks & predictions
Run Line: Brewers -1.5 (-125)
Run total: 7.5
Moneyline odds: Pirates +210, Brewers -250
Moneyline pick: Brewers -250
The Pirates are 10 games under .500 on the road this season and it should be a decisive factor in picking this matchup. The Brewers did escape with a win on Friday but Woodruff has looked to have regained his form, spelling trouble for Pittsburgh’s hitting lineup. Take the Brewers in this one.
Player prop pick: Brandon Woodruff over 7.5 strikeouts (-145)
Woodruff has a 1.55xFIP in his last 40 plate appearances and has allowed only eight hits in his two starts since returning. Combined with the Pirates’ poor hitting (29th ranked) he should be in for an efficient day on the hill. Take the over in strikeouts for Woodruff.
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