Pirates and Brewers postponed due to rain Friday

Ashcraft concluded a strong first-half performance with a bit of a dud against Milwaukee’s loaded lineup. He coughed up five hits, including home runs to Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick. The 26-year-old is headed to next week’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia after posting a respectable 3.49 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 128/27 K/BB ratio across 113 1/3 innings across 19 starts.

Sproat wrapped up the first half by requiring a staggering 83 pitches (51 strikes) to complete three frames in an abbreviated outing to kick off Saturday’s doubleheader at PNC Park. The 25-year-old heads into the All-Star break with a pedestrian 5.16 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 87/39 K/BB ratio over 82 innings. He’s been much better over the last few weeks, but has consistently struggled to work deep into outings.

It’s a colossal bummer for baseball fans hoping to see Misiorowski hurling triple-digit heaters during next week’s Midsummer Classic, but this was always the expected outcome here. Skenes, Misorowski and Meyer are all taking the ball for their respective club’s first-half finales on Sunday, which means there was zero chance they would be able to pitch in the All-Star Game just three days later. Luzardo, Ashcraft and O’Brien are headed to the game for the first time in their respective careers. It’s likely going to be Shohei Ohtani taking the ball to start for the National League based on how things are lining up from a schedule standpoint.

Nothing came easy for Sproat today. He threw at least 19 pitches in all four of his innings, totaling 92 in all, while giving up five hits and walking three. It’s the eighth time in 15 starts that Sproat has failed to last five innings, though he did complete five in four of five starts while going 2-0 in June. His stuff and his strikeout rate have ticked up a bit as the season has gone along, and he’s pretty intriguing in fantasy leagues right now even with all of the quick hooks. He’ll face the Pirates in his final start of the first half.

Ashcraft coughed up a tape-measure leadoff homer to James Wood but managed to keep the Nationals off the scoreboard into the middle innings. He finished with seven strikeouts and only issued a pair of walks. He’s posted at least seven punchouts in four consecutive starts since June 17. It was a much-needed rebound effort after getting tagged for three homers by the Phillies in his previous outing. He’ll face the Brewers at home in his final start before the All-Star break.

Sproat was able to generate 13 swings and misses in his outing, and he allowed only four hard-hit balls in the contest. He had very little issue in back-to-back outings against the Reds; firing 11 1/3 innings while allowing just two runs and striking out 17 over that timeframe. The former Met prospect has lowered his ERA to 5.28, and will try and keep his good run going against the Diamondbacks on Sunday in Arizona.

Ashcraft allowed three homers in three innings, but he retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced as the Pirates came all of the way back to take an 8-5 lead by the time he left. Ashcraft is the first Pirates pitcher to give up five runs and win since Zach Duke in 2007. Well, in truth, it happened to Carmen Mlodzinski just last month, but you probably didn’t entirely doubt it, did you? Ashcraft is 8-3 with a 3.33 ERA, and he’ll be taking on the Nationals next.

It was thought the Brewers might go back to a five-man rotation next week, but it’s not happening. There’s definitely no sense of urgency. The three possibilities to be dropped have all made four starts with ERAs in the mid-3.00s this month (3.48 for Sproat, 3.65 for Drohan and 3.74 for Gasser).

Ashcraft recorded his second double-digit strikeout effort of the season and fell just shy of matching his previous career-high mark. He got off to a rocky start when he surrendered an RBI single to Julio Rodríguez in the opening frame, but he managed to settle down afterwards and keep Seattle off the scoreboard the rest of the way. He generated 15 swinging strikes and topped out at 99.4 mph with his fastball during an extremely impressive outing. He’s allowed two earned runs or fewer in three consecutive starts since a six-run meltdown in Atlanta back on June 6. He’ll square off against the Phillies in a road tilt on Monday to kick off a two-start week.

Sproat gave up one hit, walked none and struck out 10. He improved to 2-4 with the win. Sproat was dominant against the Reds on Tuesday, but the Brewers decided to pull the plug after 80 pitches and six innings. The 25-year-old left his last start with a right hamstring cramp, which likely factored into the decision. Sproat has a 5.43 ERA and a 4.12 xFIP. He’s lined up to face the Reds at home next week.