WILL WWE START TO IRON OUT ITS BIG ISSUES AT HELL IN A CELL?

Hell in a Cell sits in something of a no man's land on the WWE calendar. SummerSlam is a month in the rearview mirror, and a lot of attention has already shifted to a pair of October pay-per-view events: Australia's Super Show-Down and the first-of-its kind women's pay-per-view Evolution.

Raw and SmackDown are both in the midst of some major transitions heading into Sunday, and the last few weeks of shows have felt the strain. Sure, the tag team divisions on Raw and SmackDown have hummed back to life, but most everything else seems to be in various states of upheaval. Braun Strowman is the top "villain" on Raw with justification for every single move he's made, save for one, while SmackDown is suffering from a serious case of backwardness as supposed heel Becky Lynch continues to get tremendously positive reactions while champion Charlotte Flair is getting booed.

Hell in a Cell should serve as a clear opportunity to set things straight for Raw and SmackDown alike, but whether or not that's indeed the case is anyone's guess. Let's take a look at Sunday's card and see what we can make of the eight matches announced thus far.

HELL IN A CELL MATCH FOR THE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP: ROMAN REIGNS (C) VS. BRAUN STROWMAN (SPECIAL GUEST REFEREE: MICK FOLEY)

Braun Strowman gave Roman Reigns a full warning that he would cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on two separate occasions. The first time, Brock Lesnar attacked Strowman and hurled the briefcase all the way up the ramp -- a distraction that allowed Reigns to win the Universal championship and avoid the cash-in. The following night on Raw, before Reigns took on Finn Balor in his first title defense, Strowman once again promised to cash in his briefcase. At the conclusion of the Reigns-Balor match, Strowman attempted to cash in, only for Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins to rush out to the ring to save Reigns and his title.

Having given far more advanced notice than all but two previous MITB winners, Strowman was well within his right to get fed up with Reigns' numbers game and pick up a crew of his own in Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre. That's where everything seems to fall apart. Strowman forfeited all of his power and leverage as the MITB briefcase holder by cashing in weeks ahead of time for a Universal championship match inside of Hell in a Cell. The thought that Hell in a Cell could keep anyone in or out is laughable, considering the bulk of the Hell in a Cell matches have memorable spots outside of the cage itself.

In the second-ever Hell in a Cell match, Mick Foley was thrown from atop the cage and then through the cage -- and he's back to serve as the special guest referee in this match through some even more head-scratching logic. Given all of the holes in this story, from employing all of the heels on the roster to attack The Shield without a response from the other half of the locker room, to Strowman's sudden willingness to take on partners and alliance with recent blood rival Kevin Owens, it's hard to say that most any outcome is impossible on Sunday.

After putting all of the work they did into finally getting Reigns to the top as Universal champion, a loss for Reigns here would be a surprise, to be sure. But another clean loss for Strowman at Reigns' hands could be downright devastating for Strowman. With a special referee and dueling support systems in play for both men, look for this to be a match that ends in chaos -- allowing the rivalry to carry on for the foreseeable future.

PREDICTION: Reigns escapes with the title, with a little help from his friends.

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP: AJ STYLES (C) VS. SAMOA JOE

It's impossible not to draw parallels between AJ Styles' two most recent rivals for the WWE championship. Shinsuke Nakamura had all the makings of a career-defining rival for Styles heading into their WWE title match at WrestleMania, but by the time all was said and done a few months later, the one thing that everyone will remember above all else was the excessive amount of low blows that Nakamura attempted and hit.

For Samoa Joe, will we be saying the same about his obsession with Styles' wife and daughter in a few months' time? There one good way to ensure that's not the case, and that's to have a decisive winner on Sunday at Hell in a Cell. Despite a rivalry that's gotten intensely physical and personal, this match was passed over for the Hell in a Cell format and will be a straightforward one-on-one match. Considering their last title match, at SummerSlam, was pretty strong before it ended in disqualification, it would be a great disappointment for there to be anything but a clear winner here.

AJ Styles' WWE championship reign will stand at 313 days on Sunday, with more than 450-plus combined days as WWE champ over the course of two reigns. While he continues to put on great matches with anyone who steps into the ring to face him, Styles' character has plateaued to a degree despite the hyper-personal nature of his rivalry with Samoa Joe. Whether it's just a short-term swap or a landscape-shifting moment for SmackDown, the timing for Joe to become "the" guy on SmackDown feels right.

PREDICTION: Samoa Joe pushes AJ Styles over the emotional edge and claims his WWE championship.

SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP: CHARLOTTE FLAIR (C) VS. BECKY LYNCH

Of the combinations of matches that could be made between the WWE's "Four Horsewomen," Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch was one of the deepest story wells that hadn't yet been tapped. It's hard to say what the WWE expected in terms of a reaction when they decided to have Lynch attack Flair after the latter won the triple threat SmackDown women's championship match at SummerSlam. Lynch got the most explosive reaction of the night, and the enthusiasm for the long-down former champion has put Lynch in an interesting spot heading into Hell in a Cell.

After a well-choreographed attack from the crowd on the final edition of SmackDown heading into Sunday, Lynch seems to have the upper hand in almost every way. Will the WWE actually consider making the change while Lynch is at the peak of her popularity and momentum, two years after she initially began her first and only stretch as SmackDown women's champion. It's clear from crowd reactions that the fans want it, but WWE has shown themselves to be almost entirely unwilling to allow crowd reactions dramatically sway the course of a story in recent memory. There's also the small danger of a Roman Reigns-like effect by proxy for Charlotte Flair, should reactions go too far sideways, but at least Flair has proven herself more than capable of performing at her peak as a dynamic heel should the need arise.

PREDICTION: Becky Lynch finds an ally (or allies) to help swing the match and become a two-time SmackDown women's champion -- putting some serious heat behind this rivalry.

RAW WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP: RONDA ROUSEY (C) VS. ALEXA BLISS

Alexa Bliss' concerted effort to take every shortcut in the book to injure Ronda Rousey's ribs is exactly in line with something her character should do. Rather than having her attempt to be a physical powerhouse, which has strangely been the case in more than one of her major rivalries and matches considering her offensive repertoire, making Bliss the diminutive and manipulative undersized villain is pitch-perfect for her. All that being said, it would take a tremendous effort to convince almost anyone that the result of this match will be anything but straightforward. Bliss already has a match set against Trish Stratus next month at Evolution and this feels like a clean way for Rousey to move beyond her first major rivalry towards the next step in her WWE career.

PREDICTION: Rousey stumbles briefly early, thanks to the aforementioned rib injury, but puts Bliss away in convincing fashion.

RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS: DOLPH ZIGGLER & DREW MCINTYRE VS. DEAN AMBROSE & SETH ROLLINS

This impromptu tag team title match was a late addition to the Hell in a Cell card, but it's a logical extension of the rivalry surrounding Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman. The animosity between these two pairs is palpable, and there's no clearer way of rejuvenating a tag team division in a hurry than to take four accomplished individuals in established alliances and having them go at it. There will be time yet for The Revival and others to take over the division, but for now this should be a strong central rivalry for the titles. Sure, the Intercontinental championship has taken a back seat for the moment, but this should be a great match that could steal the show at Hell in a Cell.

PREDICTION: Ziggler and McIntyre cheat their way to victory, to the surprise of no one.

BRIE BELLA & DANIEL BRYAN VS. MARYSE & THE MIZ

The still-growing rivalry between The Miz and Daniel Bryan has entangled both of their wives in the match and, fortunately for all involved, they're wrestlers too. With The Miz pulling Brie Bella out of the ring Tuesday on SmackDown, and the various strikes back and forth over the last few weeks, the most interesting dynamic to keep an eye on is how physical things get between these four. This is certainly not going to be the last note in this long-running rivalry, but it's a chance for a deeper dynamic to come into play.

PREDICTION: The indicators are pointing in two different directions. With Miz winning the pay-per-view match at SummerSlam, Bryan seems likely to strike back. But Bryan and Brie Bella got the last laugh to close out SmackDown. Let's say that The Miz and Maryse get the upper hand, further frustrating Bryan and his clan heading into the fall.

HELL IN A CELL: JEFF HARDY VS. RANDY ORTON

Randy Orton putting a finger through Jeff Hardy's gauge holes in his ears and pulling was one of the most uncomfortable moments in recent WWE history, but with three or four more intensely personal rivalries more well-positioned for this decisive format, what are the stakes and why is this happening? Sure, Hardy and Orton had quite a few run-ins between 2006 and 2008, including a memorable WWE championship match at the 2008 Royal Rumble pay-per-view, but there hasn't been enough here to justify a Hell in a Cell match in this instance when presented so many better options.

Hardy is sure to attempt something insane inside of the Hell in a Cell, his first match inside of this cage, but having the gimmick as the central attraction of a match rather than the participants inside of it cheapens things.

PREDICTION: Randy Orton wins and puts himself squarely into the WWE championship picture.

SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS: THE NEW DAY VS. RUSEV DAY (RUSEV & AIDEN ENGLISH)

Rusev Day would not have been the choice of any prognosticator looking at the six teams vying to be the first team up to challenge The New Day, but it does give us a fresher than usual match for Sunday. New Day is just starting to get rolling on their fifth tag team title reign, so it's hard to imagine any change, but Rusev and Aiden English each have a chance to prove themselves opposite a hungry, dynamic tag team that continues to prove itself every time out.

PREDICTION: It's New Day, yes it is.

MY POWER RANKING FOR THE TOP 12 WORLD SERIES CONTENDERS

While it took a while, the MLB playoff races are starting to take shape. With the Philadelphia Phillies going cold recently, we’re down to 12 teams with a realistic chance at making the playoffs and winning the World Series. Obviously, some teams have a better chance than others.

The Boston Red Sox have had a dream season and have been baseball’s best team all year. The American League has four teams that could win 100 or more games this season. While teams like the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics are steadily picking up steam, the New York Yankees are moving in the other direction.

Since 2015, the National League’s best teams have been the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. Both are in contention again. The Cubs, in fact, have the NL’s best record. Either could end up in the World Series again. But both give us significant reason to doubt them.

Of the 12 teams still realistically in play, which one has the best chance to win the World Series? Which one is the least likely? With roughly two weeks to go before the playoffs start, these are the my rankings.

12. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

The D-Backs have a solid starting rotation. That’s just not enough to offset the negatives. If you’ve watched Arizona’s recent games and still have confidence in the bullpen, we salute your optimism but question your grip on reality. The offense does have MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt, but it’s not a deep group. Finally, the Diamondbacks are 3.5 games behind the Colorado Rockies in the NL West and sit four games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second wild-card spot. In each case, the Los Angeles Dodgers also stand in their way. That’s a terrible situation for a team with such a brutal schedule remaining.

11. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Really, the Cardinals are done in by their position more than anything else. While the NL Central is not out of reach, a division title is unlikely for St. Louis. The Cardinals would have to win the Wild Card Game — likely on the road — and then go through the rest of the NL postseason. That’s obviously the case for any wild-card team in either league. But of the four teams currently slated to play in the two Wild Card Games, St. Louis is in the most precarious spot. There are definitely things to like about the Cardinals. But the path to the franchise’s 12th World Series win is a bumpy one.

10. LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Los Angeles is, unquestionably, the hardest contender to figure out. This team has done a lot of zigging and zagging all year. As such, we could see the Dodgers making the playoffs (as either a wild card or division champ) and going on to a World Series win. We could also see them flaming out over the season’s final two-plus weeks and missing the playoffs completely. Ultimately, while Los Angeles has a great deal of talent, the inconsistency of the bullpen and offense makes us lean towards the more pessimistic view.

9. NEW YORK YANKEES

Since Aaron Judge’s injury, the Yankees have gone 25-20. Granted, a winning record without someone like Judge seems solid. Given that Judge is progressing, that should make the Yankees higher, right? Well, there are two problems. One, we can’t just take for granted that a power hitter coming off a wrist injury is going to be 100 percent as soon as he gets back. Two, the schedule in Judge’s absence has been kind to New York. The Yanks have played only 13 games against teams with a winning record in that stretch and have gone 4-9. We could see the Yankees winning. But this doesn’t feel like their year.

8. MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Milwaukee is hard charging. Two series wins over the Cubs have put the Brewers only one back in the NL Central (though they are two back in the loss column). The good news is that Milwaukee has a deep starting rotation. There’s not much separating the team’s top four starters. The bad news is that the Brewers lack a classic ace. Even with the bullpens being more emphasized in recent years, it’s still hard to win in the playoffs without a real No. 1 starter. This will be especially true if Milwaukee ends up in the Wild Card Game. But with their bullpen and offense, the Brewers are definitely in with a chance.

7. COLORADO ROCKIES

With guys like Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and Trevor Story, this offense is loaded. And unlike in past years, we’re not worried about Colorado’s game on the road. Whatever the pitching staff has gained away from Coors Field has made up for whatever the offense has lost. The Rockies have been just as good on the road in 2018 as they’ve been at home. Our only real issue is the back end of bullpen. Wade Davis and Bryan Shaw have not had great years. While both have gotten better recently, we’d like to see a little more consistency from the bullpen heading into October.

6. CHICAGO CUBS

Something troubling has happened in September. While most teams get rejuvenated with the roster expansion and getting out of the dog days of August, the Cubs have gone flat. They look like an exhausted team. It makes sense. This team has reached at least the NLCS in each of the last three years. Playing that much baseball is going to take a toll. Chicago still has the NL’s best record and should be a safe bet to make the playoffs. We wouldn’t be surprised to see another deep postseason run. But the malaise and a possible injury to Pedro Strop makes it hard to rank this team any higher.

5. OAKLAND ATHLETICS

We start with two problems. One, while the A’s could win 100 games, they might have to beat three other 100-win teams to even make the World Series. Two, the starting rotation wasn’t exactly a strength before Sean Manaea’s injury. Without him, the bullpen getting overused is an even more significant concern. On the positive end, the A’s could end up with six players at 20 home runs or more (five are already there). Khris Davis is over 40 and leads the league. And while the bullpen could get used a lot, it is one of the best in baseball. That makes the A’s a legitimate World Series contender.

4. CLEVELAND INDIANS

Is this really a good team, or just a decent team in a putrid division? Cleveland will be the only AL Central team with a winning record, while no other division has fewer than three. So, we understand anyone who might be skeptical about the Indians. But in Corey Kluber, Cleveland has the probable AL Cy Young Award winner. Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor are both MVP candidates. Andrew Miller and Brad Hand make the bullpen, or at least the back end of it, very tough. There’s reason to doubt the Indians. But this team has the typical ingredients needed to win in October.

3. ATLANTA BRAVES

Offensively, the Braves are different than the other teams on this list. Guys like Nick Markakis, Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr. can hit the home run. But Atlanta’s at its best when it puts balls in play and makes things happen that way. There’s certainly some concern with a young team holding up through a deep-October run. But with a 7.5-game division lead, the Braves are the most secure team in the National League. We may not take them in a series over any AL team. But the World Series is going to feature a National League team. Right now, Atlanta is the most viable option.

2. BOSTON RED SOX

The Red Sox are having one of the best seasons in baseball history. So, how can they not be No. 1? Some of it has to do with the team ahead of them. But there are some concerns with Boston, as well. Namely, the bullpen. We like Craig Kimbrel. But getting the game to him has proven to be an arduous task. Any matchup that the Red Sox draw in the playoffs will feature a potent offensive team. At the very least, we expect that this bullpen will test the nerves of Boston and its fans in October.

1. HOUSTON ASTROS

The starting rotation is one of the best we’ve ever seen. The bullpen gives us some cause for concern. But most of those concern its depth. That’s rarely a huge issue in the playoffs, especially with a starting rotation that good. Houston’s offense is finally healthy and looking like the group that we saw power through the 2017 postseason. The Astros won’t have as good of a regular-season record as Boston. But the champs are on pace to have another 100-plus win season and are built to win in October.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS MEET THEIR OPPONENT THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

OFFENSE

My goodness, can I gush about this offense for a second? Tyreek Hill headlines week one’s best offense after a monster seven reception, 169 yard day to add two touchdowns along with it. Hill remains of the most explosive players not only for the Chiefs, but the entire league thanks to his speed (His nickname is Cheetah. Let that sink in), and athleticism to make plays with his body as well.

Former Bill/Ram Sammy Watkins starts opposite of Hill, as Watkins have shown the ability to be a number one receiver when given the opportunity. As Watkins still builds a rapport with his quarterback (We’ll get to him in a second), Travis Kelce anchors the tight end spot for the Chiefs, and is the clear second best tight end in the league only behind Rob Gronkowski.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a lot of expectations to fill in his first start after sitting a year behind now-departed Alex Smith, and he delivered. Mahomes is a young guy with a rocket launcher of an arm, and the athleticism to make plays with his legs as well. Mahomes appears to be legitimate, which is bad news for a Steelers defense that just gave up 21 points to Tyrod Taylor and the Browns.

Up front, Kansas City’s offensive line entered the season as a middle of the pack unit, and had the luxury of avoiding premier pass-rusher Joey Bosa last Sunday thanks to a foot injury that kept Bosa out. The Chiefs line gave up one sack against the Chargers last Sunday, and will look to continue its improvement in week two.

The offensive line was headlined by the superb play of guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who didn’t allow a single pressure on Mahomes all game (side note, he’s actually a doctor, too). The outside of the line remains anchored by the ever so steady Eric Fisher on the left, and the impressive Mitchell Schwartz on the right. This line isn’t talked about among the best, but 2018 is off to a good start for the big men up-front.

Behind the line runs Kareem Hunt, coming off a tremendous rookie campaign in 2017. Hunt failed to establish anything on the ground last week, rushing for a mere 49 yards on 16 attempts. Yet Hunt still makes himself available in the passing attack, as he finds a lot of balls dumped his way. Hunt possesses the ability to break any given play into a long run, and excels in shedding tackles as well.

With the Chiefs offense, you can expect to see a healthy dose of practically everything. The Chiefs are not afraid to run the ball 20+ times a game, while also throwing the ball on short, intermediate, and deep routes. Hill’s speed allows him to be dangerous on both deep balls down the sideline and on short crossing routes as well. Kelce excels taking on linebackers in coverage, so expect to see Kansas City to try to match a guy like Vince Williams on him when possible.

Manning the Chiefs offense is sort of tag team duo between head coach Andy Reid, and first year coordinator Eric Bienemy. Reid has consistently been one of the league’s best offensive minds of the past few decades, getting the best out of his offense with scheming and play-calling. Kansas City’s offense scored 31 points in the opening week of play against a considerably solid Chargers defense, will week two in Pittsburgh bring the Chiefs that same fortune?

DEFENSE

The Chiefs defense has seen some turnover this year, especially in the defensive secondary. Marcus Peters was shipped to the Rams, which had a lot of fans upset, and perhaps rightfully so. Peters attained 19 interceptions in his first three seasons, good enough to lead the league in that time frame.

Kansas City also saw four other players in the defensive backfield bid farewell, one of which being safety Ron Parker. Their other safety, Eric Berry, has yet to see the field thanks to a heel injury that has kept him out since August. Needless to say, this Chiefs secondary isn’t quite primed and ready, as Philip Rivers threw for 400+ yards and three touchdowns despite emerging victorious against Los Angeles. Will Ben Roethlisberger and company find that same success through the air?

Chief’s legend Derrick Johnson went to the dark side and put an Oakland Raiders helmet on, but KC still maintains a strong crew of men at the position. Kansas City plays a 3-4 defense similar to the Steelers, with two inside linebackers and two outside linebackers.

Anthony Hitchens and Reggie Ragland (both studs) hold down the middle, while Dee Ford and Justin Houston man the outside edges. This linebacker corps, when healthy, is one that can do a little of everything in rushing the passer and stopping the run as well.

In the trenches is where this game will likely be won. Chris Jones and Allen Bailey play as defensive ends, as Xavier Williams anchors the middle of the defensive line down as nose tackle. This unit doesn’t exactly pop out as anything tremendous, and will certainly have their hands full with Pittsburgh’s offensive line.

OVERALL

Week two presents a great opportunity for both teams. Should Kansas City win, the Chiefs will improve to 2-0 on the year and will have finally defeated the bump in their road for so long. Should the Steelers emerge victorious; things get back on track in the steel city as the team notches their first win of 2018.

PIRATES LOSE THE FIRST OF THREE IN MILWAUKEE

MILWAUKEE 7, PITTSBURGH 4

WHEN: 8:10 PM ET, Friday, September 14, 2018

WHERE: Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

TEMPERATURE: 74° 

UMPIRES: Home - Nic Lentz, 1B - Tripp Gibson III, 2B - Adrian Johnson, 3B - Brian Gorman

ATTENDANCE: 39482

Christian Yelich, Travis Shaw and Mike Moustakas hit home runs Friday as the Milwaukee Brewers bounced the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4.

Orlando Arcia added a rare two-RBI bunt double for Milwaukee (85-63), which won its sixth in seven games to move four games up on St. Louis, the second National League wild-card team, and remain 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

Pablo Reyes hit a homer, Jordan Luplow an RBI triple and Josh Harrison an RBI double for the Pirates (72-74).

Milwaukee starter Gio Gonzalez gave up three runs and three hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four.

Corbin Burnes (5-0), who relieved Gonzalez, gave up one hit in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Jeremy Jeffress pitched the ninth for his 12th save.

Pirates starter Chris Archer (4-8) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings, with eight strikeouts and two walks.

In the first, Lorenzo Cain singled ahead of Yelich, who hit his 29th homer to center for a 2-0 Milwaukee lead. An out later, Shaw hit his 29th, to right, making it 3-0.

Pittsburgh cut it to 3-2 in the third on Luplow's RBI triple to the corner in right. Luplow scored on Francisco Cervelli's sacrifice fly.

Reyes hit his first career homer with one out in the fifth, a shot to left that tied it 3-3.

Arcia reached base in the fifth with a shot off Archer's backside. Archer finished the inning. He walked Cain and, an out later, Jesus Aguilar's sacrifice fly brought Arcia home to make it 4-3.

In the sixth, Moustakas led off with a single and went to third on pinch hitter Domingo Santana's double to left. An out later, Arcia's bunt skipped past first to drive in both runners for a 6-3 lead.

Moustakas pushed it to 7-3 in the seventh with a blast to right, his 26th homer.

Harrison's RBI double in the eighth made it 7-4.

TOP GAME PERFORMANCES

STARTING PITCHERS

PITTSBURGH		MILWAUKEE
Chris Archer	Player	Gio Gonzalez
Loss	W/L	No Decision
5.0	IP	4.2
8	Strikeouts	6
6	Hits	3
7.20	ERA	5.79

HITTING

PITTSBURGH		MILWAUKEE
Pablo Reyes	Player	Orlando Arcia
2	Hits	3
1	RBI	2
1	HR	0
5	TB	4
.500	Avg	1.000

TEAM STATS SUMMARY

TEAM	Hits	HR	TB	Avg	LOB	K	RBI	BB	SB	Errors
PITTSBURGH	7	1	15	.212	20	10	4	5	1	0
MILWAUKEE	11	3	23	.333	14	9	7	3	3	0

SCORING SUMMARY

INNING				PIT	MIL
Brewers		1st	Yelich homered to center (405 feet), Cain scored.	0	2
Brewers		1st	Shaw homered to right (384 feet).	0	3
Brewers		3rd	Luplow tripled to deep right, Marte scored.	1	3
Pirates		3rd	Cervelli hit sacrifice fly to center, Luplow scored.	2	3
Pirates		5th	Reyes homered to left (377 feet).	3	3
Brewers		5th	Aguilar hit sacrifice fly to left, Arcia scored, Cain to third.	3	4
Brewers		6th	Arcia reached on bunt double to right, Moustakas and Santana scored.	3	6
Brewers		7th	Moustakas homered to right (419 feet).	3	7
Pirates		8th	Harrison doubled to deep right, Bell scored.	4	7

Final Scoring Summary

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	4	7	0
Milwaukee	3	0	0	0	1	2	1	0	-	7	11	0

Pittsburgh

Hitters	Pos	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	Avg
Pablo Reyes	LF	4	1	2	1	1	1	1	.375
Starling Marte	CF	4	1	0	0	0	1	2	.270
Jordan Luplow	RF	3	1	1	1	1	2	3	.238
Dovydas Neverauskas	RP	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Edgar Santana	RP	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Colin Moran	PH	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.278
Francisco Cervelli	C	3	0	0	1	1	0	4	.257
Josh Bell	1B	4	1	1	0	0	2	2	.263
Jose Osuna	3B	3	0	1	0	1	1	1	.203
Josh Harrison	2B	4	0	1	1	0	2	2	.255
Jordy Mercer	SS	4	0	0	0	0	0	3	.252
Chris Archer	SP	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.083
Steven Brault	RP	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.158
Michael Feliz	RP	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Adam Frazier	PH-RF	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	.286
Totals		33	4	7	4	5	10	20
Batting
2B - Josh Bell (29), Jose Osuna (5), Josh Harrison (12)
3B - Jordan Luplow (2)
HR - Pablo Reyes (1)
TB - Pablo Reyes 5, Jordan Luplow 3, Josh Bell 2, Jose Osuna 2, Josh Harrison 2, Adam Frazier
RBI - Pablo Reyes (2), Jordan Luplow (7), Francisco Cervelli (52), Josh Harrison (35)
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - Francisco Cervelli 3 (44), Josh Bell (58), Jordy Mercer (32), Adam Frazier (21)
SF - Francisco Cervelli (4)
Team LOB - 9
Baserunning
SB - Jordan Luplow (2, 2nd off Burnes/Pina)

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	ERA
Chris Archer (L 1-3)	5.0	6	4	4	2	8	2	5.49
Steven Brault	0.2	3	2	2	1	0	0	4.41
Michael Feliz	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	6.17
Dovydas Neverauskas	1.0	1	1	1	0	1	1	9.00
Edgar Santana	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.80
IBB - Travis Shaw (by Archer)
Pitches-Strikes - Chris Archer 103-67, Steven Brault 19-10, Michael Feliz 3-3, Dovydas Neverauskas 17-11, Edgar Santana 13-10
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Chris Archer 2-4, Steven Brault 1-1, Michael Feliz 0-1, Dovydas Neverauskas 1-0, Edgar Santana 2-0
Batters Faced - Chris Archer 23, Steven Brault 6, Michael Feliz 1, Dovydas Neverauskas 4, Edgar Santana 3
Inherited Runners-Scored - Michael Feliz 2-0

Milwaukee

Hitters	Pos	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	Avg
Lorenzo Cain	CF	4	1	1	0	1	0	3	.313
Christian Yelich	RF	3	1	1	2	1	1	2	.314
Jesus Aguilar	1B	3	0	0	1	0	0	2	.270
Hernan Perez	2B	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.260
Travis Shaw	2B-1B	3	1	1	1	1	1	0	.240
Ryan Braun	LF	4	0	0	0	0	1	2	.248
Mike Moustakas	3B	4	2	3	1	0	1	0	.277
Jonathan Schoop	SS	2	0	0	0	0	2	1	.200
Corbin Burnes	RP	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Domingo Santana	PH	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	.256
Corey Knebel	RP	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Eric Thames	PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.222
Joakim Soria	RP	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Xavier Cedeno	RP	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Jeremy Jeffress	RP	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Manny Pina	C	4	0	1	0	0	1	3	.251
Gio Gonzalez	SP	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.064
Orlando Arcia	SS	3	1	3	2	0	0	0	.223
Totals		33	7	11	7	3	9	14
Batting
2B - Domingo Santana (13), Manny Pina (12), Orlando Arcia (11)
HR - Christian Yelich (29), Travis Shaw (29), Mike Moustakas (6)
TB - Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich 4, Travis Shaw 4, Mike Moustakas 6, Domingo Santana 2, Manny Pina 2, Orlando Arcia 4
RBI - Christian Yelich 2 (88), Jesus Aguilar (98), Travis Shaw (79), Mike Moustakas (26), Orlando Arcia 2 (26)
2-Out RBI - Mike Moustakas (10)
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - Lorenzo Cain (37), Jesus Aguilar (57), Ryan Braun 2 (35)
SF - Jesus Aguilar (10)
GIDP - Lorenzo Cain (9)
Team LOB - 6
Baserunning
SB - Lorenzo Cain (28, 2nd off Archer/Cervelli), Travis Shaw (3, 2nd off Archer/Cervelli), Orlando Arcia (7, 3rd off Brault/Cervelli)

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	ERA
Gio Gonzalez	4.2	3	3	3	4	6	1	4.44
Corbin Burnes (W 5-0)	1.1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.67
Corey Knebel (H 4)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	4.24
Joakim Soria	0.2	2	1	1	0	1	0	6.00
Xavier Cedeno (H 3)	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Jeremy Jeffress (SV 12)	1.0	0	0	0	1	2	0	1.37
HBP - Starling Marte (by Knebel)
Pitches-Strikes - Gio Gonzalez 89-51, Corbin Burnes 22-15, Corey Knebel 19-13, Joakim Soria 17-12, Xavier Cedeno 5-3, Jeremy Jeffress 17-10
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Gio Gonzalez 4-3, Corbin Burnes 2-2, Corey Knebel 0-1, Joakim Soria 0-1, Xavier Cedeno 1-0, Jeremy Jeffress 1-0
Batters Faced - Gio Gonzalez 21, Corbin Burnes 5, Corey Knebel 5, Joakim Soria 4, Xavier Cedeno 1, Jeremy Jeffress 4
Inherited Runners-Scored - Corbin Burnes 1-0, Xavier Cedeno 1-0