The Milwaukee Brewers are in dire need of a spark after being shut out in back-to-back games, extending their scoreless streak extend to 23 innings.
The Brewers aim to locate their missing offense and snap a three-game losing skid on Friday when they open a three-game series against the host Pittsburgh Pirates.
“We can’t lose our enthusiasm in this tough stretch offensively,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said after watching his team muster only two hits Thursday in a 1-0 loss at Cincinnati.
“We need to continue to go at it hard, throw out positive vibes and hope that it’s going to turn. You need to do something positive on every single pitch. (That) is the mandate for what we need to try to do. Pressure all we can.”
Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich ripped a double in the ninth inning Thursday to improve to 4-for-12 with two homers and four RBIs in his past four games.
The reigning National League Most Valuable Player has tormented Pittsburgh in the season series to the tune of 12-for-37 (.324) with four doubles, two triples, two homers, seven RBIs and eight runs.
Yelich is 4-for-9 with a solo homer in his career against Pittsburgh’s Friday starter, Steven Brault (3-1, 4.29 ERA).
Brault boasts a 2-0 record with a 2.01 ERA in six starts rejoining the rotation in late May. He received a no-decision against Milwaukee on Sunday after permitting one run on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He drove up his pitch count after issuing three walks for the fourth time in five games.
The 27-year-old left-hander owns a 1-2 mark with a 3.83 ERA in 13 career appearances (seven starts) against the Brewers.
Milwaukee right-hander Zach Davies (7-2, 3.24 ERA) will get the nod on Friday, looking to defeat the Pirates for the third time this season.
Davies allowed one run on six hits over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision during the Brewers’ 2-1 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday. He is 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in three encounters against the Pirates this season, with all of the outings occurring in June.
The 26-year-old, however, sports a 4-5 mark with a 5.08 ERA in 12 career starts against the Pirates, although Starling Marte (10-for-23, .435) and Adam Frazier (7-for-17, .412) have flustered Davies.
Marte is 10-for-21 (.476) during a five-game hitting streak heading into the series with the Brewers, against whom he is 15-for-40 (.375) with a homer, four RBIs and six runs this season.
Frazier is 10-for-15 with a homer, six RBIs and six runs in his past four contests for the Pirates, who have won 10 of their last 14 games.
Pittsburgh, however, missed an opportunity to climb back to .500 for the first time in more than a month when they fell 11-3 to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
“We will come back (on Friday) with the same mentality, the same vibe. Like it didn’t happen,” infielder Kevin Newman said, per the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
The availability of Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun remains in question after he was held out of the lineup on Thursday.
“Ryan is a little banged up, I’d say,” Counsell said. “The hit-by-pitch (on Wednesday) night, his hand is sore. And he is battling some knee issues, too. I’m sure you’ve seen him limping around a little bit. Running into the wall (on Tuesday while making a sliding catch) probably exacerbated it a little bit. He’s a little banged up right now.”