Pirates plus $1.04 at Brewers
Gerrit Cole an underdog to Brent Suter? Sign me up.
I’ll take a plus price with Cole, one of the better pitchers in the National League, against the 28-year-old rookie converted starter, Suter.
The Brewers were caught celebrating their three-game sweep of the Cubs this past weekend falling 7-0 to the Pirates and rookie Steven Brault on Monday. Now they draw Cole, Pittsburgh’s No. 1 starter.
I give the Brewers tremendous credit for their season. They have been one of the biggest surprises. But I wonder how their youngsters will react to the pressure of being in a tight playoff race down the stretch? It’s something they haven’t experienced.
Suter is making his second start since returning from a strained rotator cuff. He pitched six days ago in relief. Suter is not 100 percent, which Brewers manager Craig Counsell adimitted. “We’re not there yet with him from a health perspective and a building-him -up perspective,” Counsell was quoted as saying. “We’re just not there. So it’s going to be (a start) where we’re going to have to rely on our bullpen.”
The Brewers are tough in the late innings with set-up man Anthony Swarzak and closer Corey Knebel, but vulnerable in middle relief.
Cole isn’t the elite pitcher he was two seasons ago when he went 19-8 with a 2.60 ERA. But he’s had a much better year than last season. Cole has been solid with a 3.27 ERA during his past 16 starts. He’s in good form with a 2.14 ERA in his last three starts and is 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA in four starts versus Milwaukee this season with 32 strikeouts in 27 innings.
