The Brewers have a chance to finish off a series win Thursday afternoon at American Family Field, and they’re sending Dustin May to the mound to try to do it. Pittsburgh will counter with Braxton Ashcraft as Milwaukee looks to make it three straight after taking the last two games by 4-2 scores.
Milwaukee opened the series with a 4-3 loss on Monday, but the response has been sharp. The Brewers have backed up solid pitching with enough timely offense to turn the next two nights in their favor, and now they’re trying to close the door on the Pirates.
May’s arrival adds another fresh arm to the Brewers’ staff. The 28-year-old was a third-round pick by the Dodgers in 2016 and debuted in 2019.
His early years were interrupted by injuries, and 2025 was a rough stretch split between Los Angeles and Boston. He settled in more with the Cardinals in 2026, posting a 4.38 ERA, 3.14 FIP, and 106 strikeouts in 109 innings before being dealt to Milwaukee on Monday.
He already has some recent history with Pittsburgh, having made two starts against the Pirates while with St. Louis this season and allowing six runs with nine strikeouts across 11 1/3 innings.
Ashcraft brings a solid résumé of his own into the matchup. The 26-year-old former second-round pick is in his second big league season and has put together a strong year, logging a 3.96 ERA, 3.52 FIP, and 140 strikeouts over 127 1/3 innings.
That performance earned him an All-Star nod as the replacement for Paul Skenes. He also saw Milwaukee less than a month ago, when he worked five innings in Pittsburgh, gave up five runs on five hits and two walks, and struck out six in a no-decision.
Milwaukee’s lineup opens with Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, and Garrett Mitchell at the top. Andrew Vaughn, Christian Yelich, and Luis Lara follow in the middle, with Gary Sánchez hitting seventh as the catcher. David Hamilton and Cooper Pratt complete the order.
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Padres Fans Just Learned How Close Their Bullpen Future Came To Changing
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Miller has been dominant with a 0.74 ERA, and the kind of cost it would have taken to pry him loose reflected just how valuable he is. The Brewers ultimately did not make the deal, while San Diego went in a different direction and made its own additions at the deadline, leaving Milwaukee to keep sorting out its bullpen future another way. [Read more 🡒]