Dodgers at Brewers
No team has dug itself a deeper hole this season than the Milwaukee Brewers, who are the only franchise in the majors with a double-digit deficit in their division. The Brewers appear to be trying to turn that around and look for their second straight series victory after dropping the previous 11 on Thursday when they wrap up a four-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Milwaukee (9-19) needed a team-record 25 games to get its first
consecutive wins of a season and still trails St. Louis by 11 ½ games in
the National League Central, but has held its opponent to three runs or
fewer in six of the last seven games while going 5-2 over that span.
The Brewers won for the fourth time in five tries following Wednesday’s
6-3 victory over the Dodgers, matching their season total for
first-inning runs with a five-run outburst in the opening frame. Los
Angeles has been unable to replicate the success it has enjoyed at home,
where it is a league-best 13-2, and is tied with Milwaukee for the
worst road record in the NL at 4-8. The Dodgers have also been unable to
solve the Brewers lately, dropping seven of the last nine meetings.
TV: 1:40 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Carlos Frias (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Mike Fiers (1-3, 4.74)
Frias
earned a second shot at Brandon McCarthy's rotation spot in Friday’s
win versus Arizona, carrying over his success in two previous relief
outings with 5 1/3 scoreless frames. The 25-year-old Dominican, who was
making his third career start and first of the season, yielded only four
singles after getting roughed up in two September turns last season
(10.80 ERA). Frias wasn’t much better in three relief appearances
against the Brewers in 2014, posting a 7.50 ERA.
Fiers was
dominant in Saturday’s 6-1 road win against the Chicago Cubs, picking up
his first victory in five tries after permitting one run on three hits
while striking out 12 over six innings. The Florida native has
experienced similar success against Los Angeles in his career, getting
the win in each of his three appearances (two starts) while posting a
1.08 ERA. Fiers doesn’t have much history against the current Dodgers,
although Andre Ethier (3-for-4) and Jimmy Rollins (2-for-5) have each
fared well.
WALK-OFFS
1. Each of Dodgers CF Joc Pederson’s last seven hits has been a home run.
2. The Brewers have used 27 lineups this season, including a different one in each of the last 25 contests.
3.
Los Angeles 1B Adrian Gonzalez, who is 4-for-7 with five walks and a
home run in this series, is batting .417 with 11 doubles, 10 homers and
27 RBIs in 27 career games at Miller Park.