Vegas Play of the Day: Brewers at Pirates

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Tuesday, July 19, 2016 | 3:03 p.m.

We’ve entered the third season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won the 2015-2016 season, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015.

Pittsburgh Pirates minus-1.5 runs vs. Milwaukee Brewers: $400 to win $600: Pittsburgh is entering a crucial stretch of its schedule — the Pirates either go on a winning streak to get firmly into the wild card hunt, or start playing younger players for next season. Thankfully for Pirates fans — that’s me — the lowly Brewers come to Pittsburgh to start a series tonight.

Pittsburgh gets catcher Francisco Cervelli back from a six-week disabled list stint to solidify its defense and outfielder Gregory Polanco is back after missing a series in Washington with a shoulder injury.

Junior Guerra, one of baseball’s better young pitchers, will be tough for Pittsburgh to beat, especially by more than two runs to cover the run line. But Guerra is starting for the first time in nine days because of the all-star break, meaning he could be out of sync. And the Brewers are 12 games under .500 and playing out the schedule.

Current Standings: Keefer (3-1, $10,260), Bern (0-2, $9,200), Brewer (1-3, $9,100)

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21