The Aces are set to clash Friday night in Milwaukee.
Current National League Cy Young winner, Paul Skeens (3-1, 3.27 ERA), aims to maintain his strong performance after a shaky debut in 2026. He’ll be up against the Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff (2-0, 3.42 ERA), who appears to be in good shape after dealing with injuries in previous seasons.
Both the Pirates and the Brewers have had somewhat average at-bats this year, but I think this matchup will be more of a classic pitching duel between the two right-handers.
After allowing five earned runs in his season opener against the Mets, Skeens has significantly turned things around in April, boasting a 1.27 ERA over 21 2/3 innings pitched.
The Brewers’ lineup is currently at half capacity, so this presents Skeens with a solid chance to showcase his skills in this divisional encounter.
Jackson Cholio (fractured left hand), Christian Yelich (left groin contusion), and Andrew Vaughn (fractured left hamate) are all expected to be out until at least next month.
Woodruff has started four games this season, maintaining a respectable 3.42 ERA. He delivered a strong performance against the Marlins, giving up just one run in seven innings and seems to be starting well this year.
Historically, Woodruff has had success against the Pirates, with a 3.05 ERA over 97 1/3 innings throughout his career.
In fact, late last season, he didn’t concede a run in ten innings (spanning two starts) against Pittsburgh.
Expect a low-scoring affair as these two All-Stars face off Friday at American Family Field.
Prediction: Under 7 (-110, FanDuel)
