Pirates at Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers last started 0-4 in 2011, when they went on to win
the National League Central before bowing out in six games in the NLCS.
That recent history is about the only silver lining for this year’s
Brewers, who are the only NL team without a victory heading into
Saturday’s home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Whereas Milwaukee lost three of its first four games by a total of four runs in 2011, this Brewers’ squad has dropped three of four by at least three runs after the Pirates handed them a 6-2 defeat to end their own winless start. One bright spot for Milwaukee was the return to the starting lineup of Ryan Braun, who went 1-for-4 after missing most of the last two games with a strain to his rib cage. Pittsburgh avoided its first 0-4 start in nine years, thanks in part to a bullpen that tossed three scoreless frames after taking the loss in each of its first three contests. The Pirates also got a much-needed boost from Pedro Alvarez and Starling Marte (a homer and two RBIs apiece) as well as Neil Walker (three hits).
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Vance Worley (2014: 8-4, 2.85 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Jimmy Nelson (2014: 2-9, 4.93)
Although
he initially lost his spring competition to Friday’s winning pitcher
Jeff Locke, Worley got a second chance to crack the rotation when
Charlie Morton went on the disabled list last week. The Long Beach State
alum bounced back last season in his first year in Pittsburgh following
a dreadful 10-game stint (1-5, 7.21 ERA) with the Minnesota Twins in
2013, rediscovering most of the effectiveness he displayed over parts of
the three seasons in Philadelphia. Worley went 1-1 with a 2.51 ERA in
two starts versus the Brewers last season.
Nelson carried a 2-2
record and 4.20 ERA through his first five outings in 2014, but things
quickly took a turn for the worse as he absorbed losses in six of his
final seven starts (and another loss in one of his two relief
appearances). The 25-year-old Oregon native, whose spot in the rotation
is likely secure following the offseason trade of ace Yovani Gallardo to
Texas, also struggled in the spring, going 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in five
starts. Nelson, who he has never faced the Pirates, went 1-6 with a 5.83
ERA at home last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. After allowing
four doubles on Friday, Milwaukee has surrendered 20 for the season –
the most given by any team in its first four games since at least 1914.
2.
Marte’s fifth-inning sacrifice fly in the opener ended a streak of 822
at-bats without one. His last sacrifice fly prior to Friday came on May
26, 2013 – also in Milwaukee.
3. 1B Adam Lind’s eight hits
through four games matched the Brewers’ record set in 1978 by Hall of
Famer (and current Minnesota Twins manager) Paul Molitor and tied by
Damian Miller in 2005.