The Milwaukee Brewers will turn to rookie right-hander Chad Patrick as they look to continue their recent momentum when they return home to open a three-game series on Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pirates are scheduled to give rookie right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (1-0, 1.54 ERA) his first career start in his eighth major league game to oppose Patrick (3-7, 3.50).
The Brewers completed a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins, hanging on for a 9-8 victory on Sunday with a four-out save from Trevor Megill to cap a 4-1 rain-shortened road trip.
Pittsburgh avoided being swept at home with an 8-3 win over Texas on Sunday in the finale of a three-game series. The Pirates got three hits apiece from Tommy Pham, Spencer Horwitz and Bryan Reynolds. Pham also drove in three runs, including an RBI double in a game-deciding five-run fifth inning.
The Brewers have won four straight, scoring at least eight runs in each victory. Milwaukee outscored Minnesota 35-14 over the series.
Milwaukee outfielder Christian Yelich continued his offensive surge, going 8-for-14 with 10 RBI in the series. Yelich has raised his average from .184 on May 21 to .259. In June, he is hitting .349 with two homers, five doubles and 15 RBIs in 63 at-bats.
Patrick, 26, has won just one of his last eight starts since May 6. After going 2-2 with a 3.32 ERA in seven starts in May, he has lost all three of his starts this month, allowing 10 earned runs in 16 innings for a 5.63 ERA.
He has lasted just five innings in each of his last two starts, giving up nine runs in 10 innings with three home runs allowed. In his last start, Patrick allowed four runs on six hits, including a three-run homer in the fifth inning, in a 5-3 road loss vs. the Cubs.
“You got to look at the positives,” Patrick said afterward. “Can’t always be negative on yourself. Just take and learn from what I did today and just be better.”
Patrick, who has never faced the Pirates, has pitched effectively, but has not matched his success at the Triple-A level. Patrick was the International League Pitcher of the Year last season at Nashville, going 14-1 with a 2.90 ERA in 26 games, including 24 starts, leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts (145).
Even with the win Sunday, the Pirates have dropped six of their last eight. In those six losses, Pittsburgh has totaled just 12 runs, with two runs or fewer in five of the defeats.
“We need to find a way to score some runs,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said following a 3-2 loss on Saturday. “We’ve got find a way to come through with guys on base. We had some early baserunners and just need to come up with that big hit.”
Pittsburgh pounded out 15 hits Sunday and was 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Andrew McCutchen has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games, hitting .317 (18-for-57) over that span.
Ashcraft, 25, made his major league debut on May 26. He has allowed nine hits, two runs and six walks with 10 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings in relief. His lone decision came in a 2-1 home win over the Philadelphia Phillies on June 8, when he pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of star Paul Skenes.
The Pirates split a four-game series at home against Milwaukee in late May. Milwaukee is 17-7 since then, while Pittsburgh is 12-13.
–Field Level Media
