Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Yahoo

22-05-2025

The Milwaukee Brewers sit at 24-26 on the season as they'll head east to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates for a four-game series at PNC Park. This series marks their first National League opponent since the first weekend of May, when they took on the Cubs. The Brewers have had a crazy stretch where they've either avoided a sweep or been denied a sweep in the last eight series, dating back to the end of April. Their last series was on the plus side of that stretch, as they won two of three against the Orioles in Milwaukee.
On the other side, the Pirates are having a Pirates-type season. They sit at 17-33 on the year, though they did win the last two games of their series against the Reds at PNC Park this week.
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The Brewers' injuries remain largely in the pitching department, though Brandon Woodruff, Jose Quintana, Aaron Ashby, and Aaron Civale are all expected to return in the coming weeks. Beyond that, Nestor Cortes is out until the All-Star break, Connor Thomas is out until at least late June, and DL Hall could also be back in the coming weeks. Offensively, the Brewers are without Garrett Mitchell (oblique) and Blake Perkins (shin).
Like Milwaukee, the Pirates' injuries are primarily across the pitching staff. Jared Jones and Emmanuel Valdez are both out for the remainder of 2025, while Justin Lawrence, Johan Oviedo, Colin Holderman, and Tim Mayza all have TBD returns. Catcher Endy Rodríguez and second baseman Nick Gonzales both began rehab assignments last week and have returns listed as TBD.
Rhys Hoskins joined Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich atop Milwaukee's home run leaderboard this week, as all three are tied with seven homers this year. Hoskins has been Milwaukee's best hitter, with a solid .300/.402/.500 line despite a slow start. Chourio and Brice Turang lead the team with 51 hits each, though Turang's line of .288/.363/.379 looks far better than Chourio's line of .241/.260/.415, largely due to Chourio's lack of walks (five this season). As a team, the Brewers are hitting .229/.308/.349 (.657 OPS ranks 26th) with 41 homers (tied for 26th), 212 runs (tied for 13th), and 65 steals (second).
Oneil Cruz leads the Pirates with eight homers, though he's hitting .221. He does have a solid .350 OBP and .421 slugging percentage for a .771 OPS, though. Bryan Reynolds is having a down year despite hitting six homers, as he's hitting just .203/.268/.323. Beyond that, Pittsburgh's best regular hitters are Andrew McCutchen (.243/.344/.357), Joey Bart (.262/.373/.338), and the great Isiah Kiner-Falefa (.283/.341/.354). As a team, the Pirates are hitting .218/.298/.319 (.617 OPS ranks last) with 33 homers (29th), 146 runs (last), and 51 steals (fifth).
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Jared Koenig and Abner Uribe are tied for the team lead with 24 appearances this season for the Crew, while Joel Payamp's 23 appearances look good until you notice the 8.35 ERA. Nick Mears got roughed up a bit in the Orioles' series but still sports a solid 1.83 ERA, while Trevor Megill's 2.35 ERA and Grant Anderson's 3.24 ERA both look good. As a staff, the Brewers' 4.11 ERA ranks 19th, including a 3.70 starter ERA (12th) and a 4.61 reliever ERA (23rd). They also have 402 strikeouts (17th).
Pittsburgh's bullpen is led by Chase Shugart, Ryan Borucki, and closer Dennis Santana. They also have former closer David Bednar (5.02 ERA) and the team leader in appearances, Caleb Ferguson, though he has a 4.22 ERA through 21 1⁄ 3 innings. eAs a staff, the Pirates' 3.97 ERA ranks 17th, including a 3.68 starter ERA (11th) and a 4.45 reliever ERA (20th). They also have 367 strikeouts (25th).
Probable Pitchers
Thursday, May 22 @ 5:40 p.m.: Carlos Rodriguez (7.30 2024 ERA, 5.60 2024 FIP, 1.99 2025 MiLB ERA) vs. Mike Burrows (2.70 2024 ERA, 8.57 2024 FIP, 2.51 2025 MiLB ERA)
Milwaukee's MiLB Pitcher of the Year in 2024, Rodriguez had a rough 2024 between Triple-A and the Brewers, pitching to a 4.51 ERA over 25 appearances (22 starts) with the Sounds and a 7.30 ERA over three starts in the majors. He's turned that around in a major way in 2025, though, as he has a pristine 1.99 ERA with 49 strikeouts over 45 1⁄ 3 innings in nine appearances (eight starts) this year.
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On the other side, Burrows, 25, made his MLB debut last season with the Pirates. He went 3 1⁄ 3 innings in relief that game, allowing two runs (one earned). He hasn't made it back to the majors since then, though, as he's spent 2025 at Triple-A Indianapolis. Through eight appearances (seven starts), he has a 2.51 ERA with 41 strikeouts across 32 1⁄ 3 innings.
Friday, May 23 @ 5:40 p.m.: Freddy Peralta (2.59 ERA, 3.68 FIP) vs. Paul Skenes (2.44 ERA, 2.75 FIP)
Peralta had another winning decision in Milwaukee's series finale against the Twins on Sunday, allowing one run on three hits and a pair of walks with five strikeouts over five innings of work. He has a solid 2.59 ERA and 3.68 FIP this season, with 57 strikeouts through 55 2⁄ 3 innings. The longtime Brewer has made 22 appearances (13 starts) in his career against Pittsburgh, with a 3.55 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 83 2⁄ 3 innings.
Skenes, a rookie just one year ago, has quickly turned into one of the top pitchers in the major leagues. Through 10 starts this season, he has 62 strikeouts, a 2.44 ERA, and 2.75 FIP while spanning 62 2⁄ 3 innings of work. His last start was a tough loss, as he pitched a complete game (eight innings) in Pittsburgh's 1-0 loss to the Phillies. Skenes struck out nine and allowed just the one run on three hits and a walk in the loss. Skenes has made one career start against the Crew, and a no-hit appearance at that. He allowed just one walk and one HBP over seven frames in Milwaukee last summer, striking out 11.
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Saturday, May 24 @ 3:05 p.m.: Quinn Priester (4.66 ERA, 5.18 FIP) vs. Mitch Keller (3.88 ERA, 3.41 FIP)
Priester, a former first-round pick by the Pirates back in 2019, has had an up-and-down season since joining the Brewers in early April. He's looked fine as of late, though, allowing three or fewer runs in each of his last three appearances, though he has an 0-2 record in that stretch. He went 5 1⁄ 3 innings in a no-decision against the Orioles last time out, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts. He's never made a start against the team that drafted him.
Keller, a second-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2014, is in his seventh season with the Bucs. He's made 10 starts with a 3.88 ERA and 3.41 FIP this season, striking out 48 batters across 58 innings. Like Priester, he's been the subject of bad luck, losing each of his last four starts despite giving up just 10 earned runs over 24 innings (3.75 ERA) in that time. His best of those starts came in his last appearance against the Reds, when he went six innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Keller is just 1-5 with a 5.44 ERA and 53 strikeouts across 46 1⁄ 3 innings over nine starts in his career against Milwaukee.
Sunday, May 25 @ 12:35 p.m.: Logan Henderson (1.69 ERA, 2.59 FIP) vs. Bailey Falter (3.50 ERA, 4.14 FIP)
Henderson, 23, has quickly solidified himself through three starts in the majors, allowing three runs over 16 innings (1.69 ERA) while striking out 23, including at least seven in each of his starts. His last appearance was a five-inning shutout against the Orioles, as he allowed just two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts on 90 pitches. This is his first career appearance against the Pirates.
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Falter, a fifth-round pick by the Phillies in 2015, spent parts of three seasons with Philadelphia before heading across the state to Pittsburgh, where he's now in his second full season. Despite not having great career numbers (4.47 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 304 strikeouts over 394 2⁄ 3 innings), he's been solid this season, with a 3.50 ERA, 4.14 FIP, and 39 strikeouts across 54 innings through 10 starts. He hasn't allowed a run in his last three starts, spanning 16 2⁄ 3 innings with 11 strikeouts. Falter has made four career appearances (three starts) against the Brewers, with a 2.75 ERA and 18 strikeouts across 19 2⁄ 3 innings.
How to Watch
Thursday, May 22: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Friday, May 23: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
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Saturday, May 24: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Sunday, May 25: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
These are a pair of teams with solid pitching staffs and struggling offenses, which means I expect a bunch of low-scoring games. Assuming the Brewers can put together some timely runs (which they've often struggled to do), I'll take Milwaukee to win three of four and move back to .500 on the season as they return home for Memorial Day.
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