Pittsburgh @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 24, 2018 ) Pittsburgh 6, Milwaukee 7

It took 15 innings to do so, but the Milwaukee Brewers made their first step toward ending a season-long struggle against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Following a marathon victory in the series opener, the Brewers look to win two in a row against the Pirates for the first time this season Saturday when they host their National League Central rival in the middle contest of a three-game set.

Pittsburgh was poised to run its winning streak against Milwaukee (72-58) to six games after Francisco Cervelli delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the 15th, but Erik Kratz's two-out, two-run single tied it in the bottom of the frame before Orlando Arcia's RBI single brought home the winning run four pitches later. The Brewers' 7-6 triumph was only their third win in 11 meetings against the Pirates this season and allowed them to expand their lead in the race for the NL's second wild card to one game over Colorado. Pittsburgh scored more than three runs for the first time in eight contests but could not avoid its fourth straight loss despite tying a season high with 17 hits, falling to 2-9 over its last 11 games. Gregory Polanco went 3-for-5 on Friday and has been mostly immune to his team's recent offensive woes, going 8-for-20 during a five-game hitting streak.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Jameson Taillon (9-9, 3.58 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Jhoulys Chacin (13-4, 3.58)

Taillon logged his fifth consecutive quality start in a no-decision Sunday against Chicago despite limiting the Cubs to one run and striking out eight across six innings. The 26-year-old, who has already set a career high in victories and strikeouts (131), has a reasonable chance at matching his career win total entering the season (13) with a strong finish to the season. Jesus Aguilar (4-for-11, two homers) has fared well against Taillon, who is 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA in three starts versus Milwaukee this season.

Chacin has mostly cruised to three straight victories since beginning the month with a dud and enters the weekend having allowed only seven hits and two walks while working 13 scoreless innings over his last two turns. The 30-year-old Venezuelan earned the victory in St. Louis on Sunday, holding the Cardinals to four hits in six frames. Chacin has been the victim of miserable run support in three starts against the Pirates this season, going 0-1 despite posting a 1.53 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. Milwaukee OF Christian Yelich connected on his 22nd homer of the season in the opener, setting a career high.

2. Friday's loss kept the Pirates from matching their longest single-season winning streak against the Brewers since 2001.

3. Milwaukee RHP Joakim Soria struck out the side in his only inning of work Friday after he was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day.

PREDICTION: Pirates 3, Brewers 2