Pittsburgh @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( May 25, 2013 ) Pittsburgh 5, Milwaukee 2

Milwaukee's Miller Park has been a house of horrors for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who will look to continue their hot streak when they face the host Brewers on Sunday in the finale of a three-game series. Pittsburgh has won only nine of 56 games in Milwaukee since the start of the 2007 season, but the Pirates bounced back from a series-opening loss with a 5-2 victory Saturday afternoon. Pittsburgh has won 12 of its last 15 to move 11 games over .500.

The Brewers' offensive woes have continued in this series with two runs in each of the first two games. It marked the seventh time in 10 games that Milwaukee has scored two runs or fewer, one of the big reasons why the club has stumbled to a 5-17 record in May. Jeff Locke stymied the Brewers with six scoreless innings Saturday, giving fellow southpaw Wandy Rodriguez a tough act to follow Sunday. Rodriguez is only 3-8 lifetime at Miller Park.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Pittsburgh), Fox Sports Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Wandy Rodriguez (5-2, 3.40 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Yovani Gallardo (3-4, 4.50)

Rodriguez has bounced back from a three-game winless streak by winning his last three starts, allowing a total of five runs in that span. One of the wins came against Milwaukee on May 15, when he limited the Brewers to one run on six hits in seven innings. Rodriguez had been battered for seven runs on a season-high three homers in 3 2/3 innings in Milwaukee on April 29. He has posted a 9-10 record and a 4.01 ERA in 26 appearances (25 starts) against the Brewers.

Gallardo is trending in the opposite direction of Rodriguez, losing three straight starts to fall below .500. He has deserved a better fate, allowing eight runs during the three-game skid, but the Brewers have supplied only five runs of support. Gallardo's last victory came against Rodriguez and the Pirates, when he gave up two runs - one earned - on three hits in seven innings. That improved his lifetime record vs. Pittsburgh to 10-3 with a 2.52 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. Brewers LF Ryan Braun has been a nemesis for Rodriguez, batting .386 (17-for-44) with four homers, seven doubles and eight RBIs.

2. Pirates SS Clint Barmes has only one hit in 17 at-bats against Gallardo.

3. Milwaukee is 0-5-1 in its last six series, last winning one at home vs. Pittsburgh from April 29-May 1.

PREDICTION: Brewers 6, Pirates 4