Angels at Brewers
Chris Carter was a relative bargain-basement signing during the offseason, but the slugger continues to provide huge dividends for the Milwaukee Brewers over the first month of the season. The Brewers - buoyed by a resurgent offense - look to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Los Angeles Angeles on Wednesday afternoon.
Milwaukee had lost four in a row before Carter clubbed a pair of homers in a 14-5 rout of Miami on Sunday to ignite a three-game winning streak in which it scored 27 runs. Carter, who was signed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract in January, belted two more homers Tuesday, including the tiebreaking blast in the 5-4 victory. The Angels had won eight straight in Milwaukee entering the series, but have dropped four of five overall and nine of their last 12 away from home. Center fielder Mike Trout has done his part in the series, going 5-for-9 with a homer and five RBIs.
TV: 1:40 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Hector Santiago (2-1, 3.34 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Zach Davies (0-3, 8.78)
Santiago failed to make it through six innings for the first time and consequently suffered his first defeat after giving up four runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 4-2 loss at Texas. He was superb in winning his previous two outings, giving up two runs and only six hits while striking out 17 over 13 innings. The 28-year-old Santiago has never faced Milwaukee, but Carter is 5-for-14 with a pair of homers and five RBIs against him.
Davies was promoted from the minors in September 2015 and recorded four quality starts, but has been unable to carry that success over to this year. He has received only eight runs of support in his three starts and that's not cutting it given his string of shaky performances. Davies was victimized by a costly home run for the second straight start in a 6-3 loss to Miami on Friday and has permitted at least four runs in each of his outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Trout has five homers and 16 RBIs over his last 12 games.
2. Brewers RHP Jeremy Jeffress has converted all seven save opportunities.
3. Angels LF Rafael Ortega has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games.