Game Thread #137: Milwaukee Brewers (76-60) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (63-74)

The Brewers will begin a weeklong road trip in Pittsburgh, opening up a three-game set on Monday. Corbin Burnes will get the start against Luis Ortiz. Ortiz enters Monday’s contest with a 3-4 record and an ERA of 5.08.

Winners of 11 of their last 14 games, the Brewers have a three-game lead over the charging Chicago Cubs for the top spot in the NL Central. The Cubs, after a pair of one-run losses to the Reds, are back in the win column after a blowout yesterday and a quality start from Justin Steele today against the Giants.

Today is the first of Milwaukee’s 12 games against the NL Central during the last month of the season. Twelve division games is their most in a month since they had 15 such games back in July. September only ranks behind July as the most division-heavy month of the season. So far, the Brewers are 25-14 against the NL Central.