Pirates @ Brewers

Who will WIN this matchup?

Pittsburgh Pirates (38-41)

@ Milwaukee Brewers (43-38)

Starting Pitchers:

Archer (PIT): 3-6; 5.56 ERA

Chacin (MIL) 3-8; 5.88 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Pittsburgh Pirates: 7-3

Milwaukee Brewers: 3-7

Current odds:

Pittsburgh Pirates: (+145)

Milwaukee Brewers: (-155)

• The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to hang around in the National League Central and have a chance to make up ground with 16 straight division contests beginning Friday against the host Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee, though, has won six of the first seven meetings this season, including a three-game sweep at Miller Park by a combined 20-9 earlier this month. Pittsburgh (38-41) has won six of its last seven games after defeating Houston 10-0 on Thursday, handing the Astros their first home series loss of the season after winning 14-2 on Wednesday, and are five games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs. Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman is riding a 17-game hitting streak – the longest active run in the majors and one shy of the club rookie record set by Neil Walker (2010) and Rennie Stennett (1971) – during which he is batting .390 with three home runs, 13 RBIs and 11 runs scored out of the leadoff spot.

• The Brewers (43-38), who trail the Cubs by one game, defeated Seattle 4-2 on Thursday to salvage the finale of their three-game series and win for only the fourth time in the last 13 contests. Pittsburgh’s Chris Archer enters Friday’s start off a promising effort and opposes Jhoulys Chacin in a matchup of right-handers who squared off last month during disappointing seasons.

• Archer received a no-decision after allowing one run, two hits and three walks while striking out five over five innings of Pittsburgh’s 6-3 victory over San Diego on Saturday. The 30-year-old North Carolina native yielded 11 runs over 11 innings in his previous two starts – a no-decision in the Pirates’ 5-3 victory at Miami on June 16 and a 7-5 loss at Atlanta on June 11. Milwaukee’s Travis Shaw is 6-for-17 with two solo home runs while Christian Yelich is 2-for-12 with a home run and four strikeouts against Archer, who is 1-2 with a 6.14 ERA in four starts against the Brewers after a 9-4 victory May 31 when he permitted four runs with seven strikeouts across seven innings.

• Chacin received a no-decision after allowing five runs and six hits while striking out five in 4 2/3 innings of Milwaukee’s 6-5 victory over Cincinnati on Saturday in his second start since coming off the injured list (back). The 31-year-old Venezuelan is 0-5 with a 6.55 ERA over his last seven starts. Pittsburgh’s Josh Bell is 4-for-15 with a home run and three walks against Chacin, who is 2-7 with a 4.96 ERA in 13 starts against the Pirates after yielding seven runs, six hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings May 31.

• Yelich (.335, major league-most 29 home runs, 63 RBIs) went 2-for-4 on Thursday and is one hit shy of 1,000 for his career.

• Bell (.311, 22 home runs, major league-high 70 RBIs) has homered in two straight games and drove in four runs after not recording an RBI in his previous five contests.

• Brewers INF Mike Moustakas has a 20-game on-base streak and is batting .315 with 13 home runs and 22 RBIs in his last 35 contests.