Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates Game 2

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
MIL	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	7	0
PIT	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	—	3	7	0

This one's a matinee-into-nightcap special after Friday's series opener got rained out, and Game 2 pits Shane Drohan against Bubba Chandler in about as lopsided a form matchup as you'll find. Drohan (4-2, 2.97 ERA) has been a legit stopper for Milwaukee since taking over a rotation spot, coming off a win over the Cardinals where he worked 6.0 innings and allowed just 1 earned run. Chandler (3-8, 4.82 ERA) is still trying to find it, and his last time out against Washington was a mess — 4 walks and 4 earned runs in only 4.0 innings.

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FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Brewers(59-34)

PWLWW

2

-1.5o8.5

Pirates(47-47)

PLLWW

3

+1.5u8.5

Best BetBrewers -115

Pregame

Milwaukee's price reflects a team that's simply been better at everything lately, and Drohan gives them a real edge on the mound today. Pittsburgh's offense can hang in flashes, but asking a shaky rotation piece to hold down the best record in baseball is a tough ask. Back the Brewers to win outright here.

Pittsburgh's lineup is banged up in ways that matter. Oneil Cruz is out with a hand injury, Endy Rodriguez is dealing with a hip issue, Konnor Griffin is nursing a torn finger tendon and Spencer Horwitz is working back from a hamstring problem — that's four key pieces missing from a team that's actually been quietly productive at the plate this year. Milwaukee isn't fully healthy either. Brandon Woodruff remains on the 15-day IL with a shoulder capsule injury, and Kyle Harrison is day-to-day with elbow soreness, so the Brewers are leaning hard on arms like Drohan to carry the load.

Shane Drohan

(5-4)·3.51 ERA

Jul 6 @ Cardinals

W

6.0IP

1ER

2K

2BB

85P

Bubba Chandler

(3-8)·4.47 ERA

Jul 5 @ Nationals

ND

4.0IP

4ER

0K

4BB

86P

None of that has slowed Milwaukee down. The Brewers own the best record in baseball at 59-34, and they've been playing like it — they took 3 of 4 from St. Louis last week, including a 10-2 blowout, before Friday's rainout against the Pirates. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, sits dead even at 47-47 and has been streaky, alternating blowout wins and shutout losses against Atlanta over the past week.

Milwaukee Brewers

(59-34)

Jul 10P@ Pirates0-0

Jul 9W@ Cardinals8-4

Jul 8L@ Cardinals1-5

Jul 7W@ Cardinals10-2

Jul 7W@ Cardinals4-3

Pittsburgh Pirates

(47-47)

Jul 10Pvs Brewers0-0

Jul 9Lvs Braves5-10

Jul 8Lvs Braves0-3

Jul 7Wvs Braves12-4

Jul 5W@ Nationals11-5

The Pirates' problem isn't really the bats — Pittsburgh's offense has quietly ranked among the better run-scoring clubs in the league this season behind Paul Skenes' teammates doing damage in the lineup. The issue has been keeping games close late, and a rotation that's supposed to be led by a former top pitching prospect in Chandler hasn't given the bullpen much of a cushion. That gap shows up glaringly against a Brewers team built to grind out at-bats and pounce on mistakes.

Milwaukee Brewers

(12)

• Day-To-DayKyle Harrison (SP) — Harrison said after Wednesday's loss to the Cardinals that he has been dealing with soreness on the outside of his elbow over the past few weeks, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.07/09
• 10-Day-ILDavid Hamilton (3B) — The Brewers placed Hamilton on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to a strained left hamstring.07/07
• 15-Day-ILBrandon Woodruff (SP) — Medical imaging revealed an injury to Woodruff's right anterior shoulder capsule Wednesday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.07/08
• 15-Day-ILJoel Kuhnel (RP) — The Brewers placed Kuhnel on the 15-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to July 3, due to a right shoulder injury.07/04
• 15-Day-ILRob Zastryzny (RP) — Zastryzny (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with the Brewers' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate Friday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.07/03
• 15-Day-ILCarlos Rodriguez (RP) — Rodriguez (shoulder) struck out a batter and allowed three earned runs on two hits and one walk across 1.1 innings Wednesday in a rehab start for the Brewers' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiiate.07/02
• 15-Day-ILDL Hall (RP) — Hall (pectoral) has progressed to throwing on flat ground from 60-to-75 feet, Jack Stern of BrewerFanatic.com reports.06/30
• 15-Day-ILColeman Crow (SP) — Crow (forearm) will throw a live batting practice session Tuesday, Jack Stern of BrewerFanatic.com reports.06/30
• 60-Day-ILBrandon Lockridge (LF) — The Brewers transferred Lockridge (knee) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.07/07
• 60-Day-ILBrian Fitzpatrick (RP) — Fitzpatrick (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery over the past week, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.07/05
• 60-Day-ILQuinn Priester (SP) — Priester will undergo thoracic outlet compression surgery on Monday and is expected to be sidelined 8-to-10 months, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.06/18
• 60-Day-ILAngel Zerpa (RP) — The Brewers transferred Zerpa (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Sunday.05/31

Pittsburgh Pirates

(7)

• 10-Day-ILEndy Rodriguez (C) — Rodriguez (hip) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game versus Atlanta.07/08
• 10-Day-ILSpencer Horwitz (1B) — Horwitz (hamstring) has begun a running program at the Pirates' spring training complex in Florida, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/07
• 10-Day-ILOneil Cruz (CF) — Cruz (hand) has resumed swinging a bat, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/07
• 10-Day-ILKonnor Griffin (SS) — The Pirates placed Griffin on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a torn tendon in his left ring finger, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.07/07
• 15-Day-ILWilber Dotel (RP) — Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Dotel (lat) will make another rehab appearance with a minor-league affiliate Tuesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.07/06
• 15-Day-ILEvan Sisk (RP) — Sisk was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with left elbow inflammation, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.07/04
• 60-Day-ILChris Devenski (RP) — Devenski (illness) was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL on Sunday.06/07

Milwaukee's whole operation right now is about depth absorbing injuries without missing a beat, and Drohan is exhibit A — a guy who got knocked around in his debut, got sent down, and came back throwing strikes. Chandler needs a version of that same turnaround, and soon, because the walks have piled up all year and Pittsburgh doesn't have the margin for free baserunners against a lineup this hot. If the Pirates want to salvage anything out of this doubleheader split, it starts with Chandler finding the zone early.