Brewers vs. Pirates Preview: All Eyes on Paul Skenes, Brandon Woodruff

The Milwaukee Brewers will begin a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night at home at American Family Field.

Milwaukee enters the contest losers of its last two games, including a tough, walk-off loss against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. The Brewers did well in the contest and scored four runs off Tarik Skubal, but gave up the lead late. Overall, the Brewers are 5-5 over their last 10 games.

The Pirates enter the series after a loss against the Texas Rangers on Thursday. Overall, the Pirates also are 5-5 over their last 10 games, like Milwaukee.

It's going to be a fun National League Central series with great pitching, starting with Brandon Woodruff vs. Paul Skenes on Friday night.

With all of that being said, let's preview the three-game set.

Pitching Probables

Apr 18, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Friday: Brandon Woodruff (MIL) vs. Paul Skenes (PIT)

Saturday: Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) vs. Mitch Keller (PIT)

Sunday: Kyle Harrison (MIL) vs. Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT)

The matchup of the weekend is going to be on Friday, without a doubt. Woodruff vs. Skenes is a matchup that will be fun to watch and should lead to very few runs. The same can be said about Saturday's showdown between Misiorowski and Keller. Misiorowski has a 3.04 ERA so far and Keller has a 2.79 ERA on the campaign. The Pirates are 14-11 on the season, and the Brewers are 13-11 on the campaign. We're seeing two really good teams in action this weekend.

Injuries

Apr 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich (22) celebrates in the dugout after scoring during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

It has been known that the Brewers aren't at full strength. Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Andrew Vaughn, and Quinn Priester are all out for Milwaukee right now. There have been positive steps throughout the week. Priester kicked off a minor league rehab assignment and Chourio took batting practice.

NL Central Breakdown

Apr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The National League Central is loaded right now, to say the least. The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs are tied for first place in the division at 16-9. The St. Louis Cardinals are in third place right now 14-10. The Pirates are in fourth place at 14-11. The Brewers are in last place at 13-11. The division has been shockingly good. The fact that every team in the division is above .500 is insane, especially considering the fact that the American League has just six teams above .500 in general.

Bold Prediction

The Brewers put up four runs against Skenes on Thursday in a loss. On Friday, the Brewers will put up four against Skenes, but in a win.

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