Brewers at Padres
Jeff Suppan will make his San Diego Padres debut and first major league
start since Oct. 4, 2010 when he faces one of his old teams – the
Milwaukee Brewers – on Wednesday in the finale of a three-game series.
San Diego announced Tuesday that left-hander Cory Luebke (3-1, 2.61 ERA)
will miss at least Wednesday’s start because of elbow tightness, so the
Padres will turn to the 37-year-old to fill the void. Suppan is 12-2
lifetime in 22 games (20 starts) against Milwaukee with a 3.32 ERA, but
hasn’t faced them since 2006.
The Padres have a pinch-hitter
extraordinaire in Mark Kotsay, whose two-run homer in the eighth inning
against his former team gave San Diego a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee on
Tuesday. It was his second winning pinch hit in six games. He delivered a
two-run double in the eighth inning of the Padres’ 2-1 victory over
Washington on Thursday.
TV: 6:35 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Yovani Gallardo (1-2, 6.08 ERA) vs. Padres RH Jeff Suppan (2010: 3-8, 5.06)
Gallardo
was on a roll (four earned runs in three starts covering 21 innings)
before his last start, when he was crushed for eight runs and eight hits
in two innings in a 13-1 loss at St. Louis on Friday. Gallardo is 2-1
with a 5.06 ERA in four career starts against San Diego and the current
roster is hitting .306 against him. Chase Headley is 4-for-8 with a
homer, while Orlando Hudson is 3-for-14.
Suppan missed most of
spring training with a triceps injury. He pitched in extended spring
training before making two starts at Triple-A Tucson, where he was 0-1
with a 12.15 ERA and allowed nine runs and 17 hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Suppan is 2-2 in five games lifetime – four starts – at Petco Park. He
is 138-143 lifetime with a 4.69 ERA, including 29-36 in three-plus
seasons with Milwaukee.
WALK-OFFS
1. Milwaukee
first baseman Mat Gamel left Tuesday’s game after the first inning when
he twisted his knee trying to catch Nick Hundley’s foul pop near the
stands.
2. San Diego left fielder Carlos Quentin was 2-for-3 with
a three-run homer for Triple-A Tucson on Tuesday in his first rehab
start. He underwent knee surgery during spring training.
3. Ryan
Braun went 1-for-4 on Tuesday, one night after hitting a career-high
three homers, matching a career best with six RBIs and setting a Brewers
record with 15 total bases in Monday’s 8-3 victory.