Braves at Brewers
Eric Thames has been the biggest story in baseball this season, and the Milwaukee Brewers expect their slugging first baseman to return to the lineup Friday in the opener of a three-game home series against the Atlanta Braves. Thames, who already has set club records for homers (11) and runs scored (27) in April while hitting .370 with a .489 on-base percentage, left Wednesday’s victory against Cincinnati with a tight left hamstring.
“It’s just the wear and tear of playing every day,” Thames told reporters after Wednesday’s game, adding with Thursday’s off day he anticipates being on the field Friday. The Brewers scored 29 runs in sweeping a three-game series from the Reds, while Atlanta enters the series after scoring 15 runs in a two-game sweep of the Mets in New York. The Braves have a hot-hitting first baseman of their own in Freddie Freeman, who is batting .440 over his past 15 games with seven homers. Atlanta's rookie shortstop Dansby Swanson is struggling, hitting just .138 on the season with 22 strikeouts in 80 at-bats.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Bartolo Colon (1-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Chase Anderson (2-0, 1.13)
The results have been mixed for the 43-year-old Colon in his first season with Atlanta as baseball’s oldest player allowed one run each in two of his starts and a combined 10 runs in his other two outings. The Dominican Republic native surrendered four runs on 11 hits in seven innings Friday at Philadelphia, five days after holding San Diego to one run on one hit with six strikeouts in seven innings. Colon, who has allowed 11 runs in 17 innings in three road starts, beat the Brewers in his only appearance against them last season (one run given up in seven innings).
The 29-year-old Anderson has flourished early in his fourth major-league season, leading the National League in ERA while allowing one earned run or fewer in three of his first four starts. He got a no-decision Saturday against St. Louis despite surrendering only one unearned run and one walk with six strikeouts in six innings, and has walked only six against 22 strikeouts in 24 frames. Anderson, who posted a 4.39 ERA while going 9-11 in 2016 with Milwaukee, is 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA in two career starts against Atlanta.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta 2B Brandon Phillips, who owns an 11-game hitting streak, is expected to play Friday after missing Thursday’s contest with a left groin strain.
2. The Brewers have jumped on the opposition early, outscoring teams 27-8 in the first inning this season.
3. The Braves promoted 34-year-old RHP Jason Motte, who recorded 42 saves with St. Louis in 2012 and has just six since missing all of 2013 with Tommy John surgery, Thursday from Triple-A Gwinnett.