d to stockpile relievers Thursday by acquiringFernando Rodney to aid in their playoff quest.The A's announcedthey traded minor league pitcher Dakota Chalmers to the Minnesota Twins in the deal.Rodney joins a loaded Oakland bullpen that ranks fourth in MLB with a 3.28 ERA and fifth with a .226 batting average against.The duo of Blake Treinen and Lou Trivino has done a lot of the Athletics' heavy lifting with a combined 138 strikeouts and 69 hits allowed in 114 innings entering Thursday.The A's acquired Jeurys Familia from the New York Mets prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. He's allowed no earned runs in 10 innings over eight appearances since joining the A's.Rodney has been solid in 2018 with a 3.09 ERA http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , 50 strikeouts and 25 saves in 43.2 innings.A third-round draft pick in 2015, Chalmers has only appeared in two games at High-A this season. The 21-year-old has a 4.08 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 121.1 innings over four minor league seasons.The Twins previously moved veterans Brian Dozier, Lance Lynn, Eduardo Escobar and Ryan Pressly and turned their focus toward 2019 and beyond.Oakland has been a pleasant surprise in the AL playoff race with a 68-47 record, leading the Seattle Mariners for the second wild-card spot by three games. Milwaukee Brewers (31-25, second in the NL Central) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (27-27, third in the NL Central)Pittsburgh; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Brewers: Chase Anderson (2-0 Jason Kipnis Jersey , 3.25 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 29 strikeouts) Pirates: Joe Musgrove (3-5, 4.27 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 45 strikeouts)Article continues below ...LINE: Brewers favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: Pittsburgh and Milwaukee meet to begin the four-game series.The Pirates are 11-8 against the rest of their division. The Pittsburgh pitching staff as a whole has an ERA of 4.82. Jordan Lyles leads the team with a 3.09 ERA.The Brewers are 13-14 on the road. Milwaukee’s team on-base percentage of .322 is fourth in the National League. Christian Yelich leads the club with an OBP of .393. This is the first game between these teams in 2019.TOP PERFORMERS: Josh Bell leads the Pirates with 18 home runs and has 51 RBIs. Bryan Reynolds has 12 hits and is batting .000 over the last 10 games for Pittsburgh.Yelich leads the Brewers with 28 extra base hits and is slugging .714. Yasmani Grandal is 9-for-31 with two doubles, a triple, three home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games for Milwaukee.LAST 10 GAMES: Pirates: 3-7 http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , .280 batting average, 7.16 ERA, outscored by 24 runsBrewers: 4-6, .249 batting average, 5.16 ERA, outscored by five runsPirates Injuries: Trevor Williams: 10-day IL (side), Jameson Taillon: 60-day IL (elbow), Chris Stratton: 10-day IL (side) Larry Doby Jersey , Edgar Santana: 60-day IL (elbow), Jordan Lyles: day-to-day (hamstring), Chad Kuhl: 60-day IL (elbow), Keone Kela: 10-day IL (shoulder), Nick Burdi: 60-day IL (biceps), Corey Dickerson: 60-day IL (shoulder), Lonnie Chisenhall: 60-day IL (finger), Jung Ho Kang: 10-day IL (side) Bob Feller Jersey , Erik Gonzalez: 60-day IL (collarbone), Francisco Cervelli: 7-day IL (concussion).Brewers Injuries: Bobby Wahl: 60-day IL (knee), Brent Suter: 60-day IL (elbow), Corey Knebel: 60-day IL (elbow), Travis Shaw: 10-day IL (wrist), Manny Pina: 10-day IL (hamstring).