Brewers at Phillies
The Milwaukee Brewers are in such a slump, they cannot even beat the worst team in baseball, and the National League Central leaders try to snap their six-game losing streak Saturday when they meet the Phillies in Philadelphia for the middle contest of a three-game series. Milwaukee's season-high slide is bookended with losses to the Phillies, including Friday's 6-1 setback, but the Brewers still lead the division by one game over the Chicago Cubs.
Milwaukee (52-47) has scored only 12 runs during the slide and part of the problem is that left fielder Ryan Braun's body is breaking down. Braun (.258, 11 home runs, 27 RBIs) missed his third straight start Friday and told reporters that he received a cortisone shot in his wrist prior to the All-Star break, adding to calf and elbow injuries that forced him to miss 53 games this season. Philadelphia (33-61) has won three straight contests - its longest streak since a four-game run June 3-6. Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is coming off a victory over the Brewers and makes what could be his penultimate start in a Philadelphia uniform prior to the July 31 trade deadline opposite Brent Suter, who has been sharp since taking the spot of the injured Chase Anderson in the rotation.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), NBC 10 (Philadelphia)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers LH Brent Suter (1-1, 3.09 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jeremy Hellickson (6-5, 4.44)
Suter earned a no-decision after allowing two runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out two in 4 2/3 innings of Milwaukee's 4-2 loss at Pittsburgh on Monday. The 27-year-old Chicago native is 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three starts since replacing Anderson, striking out 15 and yielding 16 hits in 17 innings. Suter, a Harvard graduate who was selected in the 31st round of the 2012 draft by the Brewers, has never faced Philadelphia or any of its players.
Hellickson boosted his trade value after permitting two runs, four hits and one walk while striking out six in five innings of a 5-2 victory at Milwaukee on Sunday, improving to 3-1 with a 2.89 ERA in five career starts versus the Brewers. The 30-year-old Iowa native is 1-0 with a 3.26 ERA in his last five starts, allowing 25 hits and striking out 25 in 30 1/3 innings. Hellickson handles Braun and Eric Thames (combined 4-for-21), but struggles with Jonathan Villar (4-for-6, home run).
WALK-OFFS
1. Phillies OF Howie Kendrick (hamstring), sidelined since June 28, was activated from the disabled list Friday and had a pinch-hit single in the eighth inning.
2. Braun, who could play Saturday, is batting .372 with 21 home runs and 57 RBIs in 61 games versus the Phillies.
3. Philadelphia rookie RF Nick Williams went 1-for-4 on Friday, snapping his streak of recording multiple hits and RBIs at four games.