The Milwaukee Brewers welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates to American Family Field on Thursday, August 6 for a 2:10 PM ET first pitch. Dustin May gets the ball for Milwaukee, squaring off against Pittsburgh right-hander Braxton Ashcraft in what figures to be a pitching-centered NL Central matchup. With the dog days of summer in full swing, every game carries weight in a division race that can shift quickly, and the Brewers will be leaning on their lineup depth and May's arm to get the job done in front of the home crowd.

Probable Pitchers: Dustin May vs. Braxton Ashcraft

Dustin May is the story on the mound for Milwaukee. The right-hander has the kind of arsenal — heavy sinker, elite spin — that can generate weak contact and eat innings when he is on. His ability to keep the ball on the ground is a real asset at American Family Field, and the Brewers will need him to go deep into this game to preserve a bullpen that has been leaned on heavily through the season.

Ashcraft is a young arm Pittsburgh has been developing, a power pitcher with a live fastball who has shown flashes of becoming a legitimate rotation piece for the Pirates. He is still finding consistency at the big-league level, and Milwaukee's lineup will look to exploit any command lapses early. Getting Ashcraft into trouble in the first two or three innings is a blueprint that could open this game up in a hurry.

Milwaukee Brewers Lineup

• 1. Brice Turang, 2B
• 2. Jackson Chourio, LF
• 3. Garrett Mitchell, CF
• 4. Andrew Vaughn, 1B
• 5. Christian Yelich, DH
• 6. Luis Lara, RF
• 7. Gary Sánchez, C
• 8. David Hamilton, 3B
• 9. Cooper Pratt, SS

Pittsburgh Pirates Lineup

• 1. Jake Mangum, CF
• 2. Brandon Lowe, 2B
• 3. Bryan Reynolds, LF
• 4. Endy Rodríguez, DH
• 5. Spencer Horwitz, 1B
• 6. Nick Gonzales, 3B
• 7. Ronny Simon, RF
• 8. Jacob Gonzalez, SS
• 9. Henry Davis, C

Keys to Watch Thursday

Chourio and Mitchell Setting the Table

Jackson Chourio hitting second gives Milwaukee a dangerous bat early in the order, and Garrett Mitchell in the three-hole adds athleticism and gap power. If those two are making noise ahead of Andrew Vaughn and Christian Yelich, Pittsburgh's pitching staff is going to have a long afternoon.

Yelich in the Middle of the Order

Christian Yelich slotting in as the DH at five is worth watching. He brings veteran presence and left-handed pop to a lineup spot that needs to drive in runs. How Ashcraft approaches Yelich — and whether Yelich makes him pay — could be a defining sequence of this game.

May's Ground Ball Rate

If Dustin May is generating ground balls and keeping Bryan Reynolds and Endy Rodríguez off the bases, the Brewers should be in good shape. Reynolds is Pittsburgh's most dangerous bat in this lineup, and May's ability to limit hard contact against that middle of the order will be a key storyline through the first few innings.

Prediction

This matchup sets up favorably for Milwaukee at home. Dustin May is the more established arm in this pitching duel, and a Brewers lineup that runs Chourio, Mitchell, Vaughn, and Yelich back-to-back should find enough against Ashcraft to put runs on the board. Expect a 4-2 Brewers win in a well-pitched, lower-scoring afternoon game at American Family Field.

Catch the game on Brewers.TV Presented by Potawatomi Sportsbook or listen locally on WTMJ 620. Pittsburgh fans can tune in on SportsNet Pittsburgh or 100.1 FM/KDKA-AM 1020.