The Milwaukee Brewers will turn to newly acquired veteran Dustin May against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday as they look to win the four-game series between division rivals.
May (5-7, 4.38 ERA), acquired at the deadline along with reliever JoJo Romero from St. Louis to bolster an injury-thinned youthful rotation, will be opposed by fellow right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (11-4, 3.96).
After dropping the series opener, the National League Central-leading Brewers notched their second consecutive victory over the Pirates with a 4-2 win Wednesday. Kyle Harrison tossed five innings of one-hit ball in his return from the injured list before leaving with cramps in both calves.
Harrison struck out 10 batters, including the last eight he faced, and walked one. The eight consecutive strikeouts were the second most in franchise history behind Corbin Burnes’ 10 consecutive in 2021 against the Chicago Cubs.
William Contreras had a solo homer for the Brewers. Endy Rodriguez brought the Pirates within 4-2 with a two-run blast in the seventh off DL Hall, his first career homer off a left-handed pitcher.
Milwaukee improved to 71-43, two games better than Atlanta for the best overall record in the majors, and retained its 5 ½-game lead in the division over the Cubs. The Brewers are 21-11 against the NL Central, but just 3-6 vs. the Pirates.
May was 0-1 with a 4.62 ERA in six starts in July with the Cardinals, but that includes a disastrous outing early in the month when he allowed five runs in two-thirds of an inning against Atlanta.
Over his last two starts, May allowed just one run in 11 innings without a decision. His last time out, he allowed just one hit in five innings in an eventual 3-2, 10-inning win over the Cubs.
“I feel like I’ve had a way more successful season than I did last year,” May said Tuesday in an introductory session with Milwaukee media. “I feel like I’ve had a couple, a few rocky ones, but for the most part, when you look at the generalized year, I feel like I’ve thrown them all pretty well. Just trying to be a little more consistent.”
May is 0-2 in three career starts against the Pirates, including one loss in two starts against them this season. He allowed two runs in six innings without a decision in a 4-2 win in late April, then was saddled with the loss in a 6-2 defeat a month later, giving up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Christian Yelich, who entered Wednesday with three hits in his last 28-at bats, doubled, singled and drove in a run.
Ashcraft is 5-1 over his last seven starts despite a 5.89 ERA over that span. After three starts in which he allowed 17 runs, 16 earned, in 14 innings, Ashcraft allowed just one run on two hits in five innings in his last outing, getting the win in a 4-1 victory over the Reds.
“I feel like that was a really good step in the right direction,” Ashcraft said afterward. “Been a little bit frustrated with how I’ve thrown the ball, don’t feel like I’ve played to the standard that I hold myself to.”
Ashcraft is 0-0 with a 5.63 ERA in two career starts vs. Milwaukee. In the only meeting this season, he gave up five runs, including two homers, in five innings in a 7-6 victory in mid-July.
–Field Level Media
