Orioles at Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers picked on one of the many struggling starting pitchers for the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of their three-game series and will try to do so again when the teams meet Tuesday afternoon. The Brewers jumped all over Wade Miley - who gave up seven runs in 1 2/3 innings - en route to an 8-1 win Monday, their fourth victory in the last five games.
Miley has an ERA of 11.69 over a span of six appearances and Tuesday's starter - veteran Ubaldo Jimenez - enters with a 6.48 mark overall, although he is coming off his best start of the year. Milwaukee pounded out 11 hits in Monday's rout, including three apiece by Manny Pina and Orlando Arcia, and it may have dodged a bullet with an injury to slugging third baseman Travis Shaw. After singling in the first run of the game, Shaw was struck by a pitch in the second inning and later left the contest, although he expects to play Tuesday. Baltimore managed five singles and a double in the opener as it fell to 15-26 on the road.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (3-3, 6.48 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Jimmy Nelson (6-4, 3.43)
Six days after giving up nine runs over 2 1/3 innings in an ugly outing at Tampa Bay, Jimenez spun eight scoreless frames to top Toronto his last time out. He struck out a season-high eight, walked one and let up two hits to win for the second time in his last three outings. The 33-year-old is 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA in six career starts against the Brewers but has not enjoyed success against slugger Ryan Braun, who 8-for-20 with three doubles and a triple against the righty.
Nelson has won four of his last five decisions and recorded at least 10 strikeouts in four out of seven outings. He fanned 11 and limited Cincinnati to two runs and three hits over seven stellar frames Thursday. The University of Alabama product, who has yet to face Baltimore, has a 2.64 ERA in nine home starts this year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pina is 7-for-16 with two homers and six RBIs in a four-game hot stretch.
2. Orioles 3B Manny Machado is 2-for-27 in his last seven contests.
3. Shaw has posted 12 RBIs over a 10-game stretch.