Brewers: 3 Slumping Players Who Need To Step Up Heading Into Crucial Pirates Series

The Milwaukee Brewers have lost six straight games heading into a crucial series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The losing streak has allowed the Pirates to take control of first place in the NL Central.

What's strange about the losing streak is that right before it the Brewers were playing some of their best baseball, taking two of three from the Orioles and three of four from the Reds. The Brewers need to snap out of their funk to avoid falling further down the standings. They've been presented with an incredible opportunity to take the division with the Cardinals falling off the table and now their main competition is the upstart Pirates.

The Crew's next opponent is the Pittsburgh Pirates. Seizing momentum, and the division lead, will be crucial for the Brewers in this weekend's series.

How can the Brewers seize that momentum? They need these players to step up and perform at a higher level than they have been.

1. Luis Urias

The Brewers activated Luis Urias off the IL back in the Reds series, and he's been slow to get started. Urias is hitting just .080 (2 for 25) with a .521 OPS. Urias' two hits are a double and a homer. The home run he hit in the second game against the Twins, perhaps a sign that he's starting to feel more locked in at the plate.

Milwaukee needs Urias to get going offensively. He can supply some power and is a productive bat when at 100%. The Brewers have been dealing with some holes in their lineup and Urias, frankly, has been one of them since his return. While he was on the injured list, there was a hole in the lineup in his absence, but he hasn't plugged that hole yet. Instead, he's just been a continuation of one.

Perhaps he needed a little more time on his rehab assignment to get in a groove at the plate. But he's back in the lineup and Craig Counsell will continue to ride with him and give him regular at-bats to get him going. Hopefully he can do that in this Pirates series.