Brewers Vs. Pirates: Randy Wolf Latest Starter To Shut Down Bucs

Yet again Thursday night, the Pirates’ bats failed to make an appearance in the team’s 4-1 loss to the Brewers.

Randy Wolf picked up the win with a 10-strikeout performance. Wolf, as he typically does, threw a bevy of mediocre fastballs and slow curveballs that the Pirates, for some reason, found impossible to hit.

Pirates starter Paul Maholm did his best to keep up with Wolf despite the disadvantage of actually having to face a major-league offense, and he allowed only two runs, both in the first, on an RBI single by Prince Fielder and a sacrifice fly by Yuniesky Betancourt. The Brewers added two runs in the ninth off Joel Hanrahan when Betancourt had an RBI single and Nyjer Morgan had an RBI double.

The Pirates scored their only run on a wild pitch by John Axford. The Bucs struck out 14 times in the game, including three by Jose Tabata and two each by Matt Diaz and Lyle Overbay, and they remain among the most strikeout-prone teams in baseball.

Brewers Vs. Pirates: Lefties Randy Wolf, Paul Maholm Face Off

Two veteran lefties face off Thursday night as the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:05 PM.

Paul Maholm will pitch for the Pirates. Maholm was the losing pitcher in the Pirates' home opener, allowing five runs, three earned, but he pitched 6.2 scoreless innings in his first start of the season.

Randy Wolf will start for the Brewers. The veteran has two starts so far this season, against the Reds and Cubs, and he allowed six runs in each, although four of the runs in the Cubs start were unearned. He has struck out 10 batters in 10 innings, but he has allowed four homers.

The Pirates will attempt to bounce back after looking lifeless last night while losing 6-0 to Brewers pitcher Shaun Marcum.

Catcher Chris Snyder returns from a stint on the disabled list today for the Pirates, with backup Jason Jaramillo heading back to Class AAA Indianapolis.