Brewers at Reds
Michael Lorenzen will be summoned to make his major-league debut Wednesday afternoon, when the Cincinnati Reds wrap up their home series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Lorenzen, the Reds' first-round pick in 2013, is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA this season as a starter for Triple-A Louisville. He has walked only four batters in 19 innings as his walks per nine innings continue to decline with his maturity through the minors.
Matt Garza will get the nod for Milwaukee, which has lost the first two games of the series, 9-6 and 4-2. Cincinnati hit three homers in Tuesday's victory while Johnny Cueto allowed two runs over eight innings. Aroldis Chapman closed it out for the Reds and still has not yielded a run in 11 appearances this season. That puts even more pressure on the Brewers to score early against Lorenzen, although the team cannot be high on confidence after losing 12 of its last 14 games.
TV: 12:35 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Matt Garza (1-3, 5.16 ERA) vs. Reds RH Michael Lorenzen (NR)
Garza went 2-0 with an 0.82 ERA in three starts against Cincinnati last season. However, he enters this matchup having logged six innings or fewer in all four of his outings this year and barely is posting more strikeouts (15) than walks (11). The veteran has not received much help, however, as the Brewers were shut out in his last start and have managed two runs or fewer in three of his four turns.
Lorenzen is taking the place of Homer Bailey, who may need surgery on his pitching elbow and is expected to miss significant time. The 23-year-old Lorenzen was a center fielder and a closer in college and did not convert to starting pitching until he joined the Reds organization. "We've had our sights set on Michael for some time," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price told reporters this week. "He came in and threw the ball really well in spring, maybe not statistically, but the ball came out of his hand really well. We think he's mature and ready to handle this type of challenge."
WALK-OFFS
1. Brewers 1B Adam Lind is riding a seven-game hitting streak during which he is 11-for-26 with two homers.
2. Cincinnati is 5-1 against Milwaukee this season.
3. Reds OF Marlon Byrd is 3-for-7 with a home run in the series, although he still is hitting just .164 on the year.