Indians at Brewers
The Cleveland Indians hope to begin turning their pitching fortunes around when two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber gets the ball Tuesday night to start a two-game interleague series against the host Milwaukee Brewers. The Indians have allowed 36 runs in the last five games, including seven in the final two innings of a 7-4 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday, while Kluber is tied for the American League lead with five wins.
Cleveland’s bullpen has been the biggest problem since All-Star left-hander Andrew Miller (hamstring) went on the disabled list April 26, posting an ERA over 10.00 in that stretch, but the Indians (17-17) still hold a lead in the AL Central. “This game is not easy. Sometimes it can be a lot harder and that’s just how it feels right now,” Cleveland closer Cody Allen told the Plain Dealer after Sunday’s loss. “It was the perfect storm this weekend. We’re not playing our best baseball and our bullpen, we’re not throwing the ball very well right now. … We’re just hoping to get out of here, flush it, get into Milwaukee and start fresh.” The Brewers (20-15) dropped two of three at home to Pittsburgh over the weekend, managing just two hits in a 9-0 loss Sunday afternoon. Milwaukee right fielder Domingo Santana had one of the two singles in the setback to extend his hitting streak to five games, during which he is 8-for-18 with four RBIs.
TV: 7:40 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FS Wisconsin
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Corey Kluber (5-1, 2.41 ERA) vs. Brewers LH Wade Miley (1-0, 1.50)
Kluber has begun the season with seven consecutive quality starts, going at least seven innings in six of them, and is riding a five-game winning streak. The 32-year-old Alabama native allowed three runs on solo homers Wednesday, giving up six hits overall across seven frames to beat Texas, and owns 53 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings in 2018. Travis Shaw is 4-for-11 with a homer versus Kluber, who faces Milwaukee for the first time and is 12-4 with a 2.19 ERA in interleague play.
Miley was victorious in his first start with the Brewers, holding Cincinnati to one run on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts over six innings Wednesday. The 31-year-old Louisiana native went 8-15 with a 5.61 ERA with Baltimore in 2017, failing to reach the 10-win mark for the second straight year, and is pitching for his fifth team. Edwin Encarnacion is 7-for-16 with two doubles and three homers against Miley, who is 1-3 with a 5.33 ERA in five career games versus Cleveland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Milwaukee OF/1B Ryan Braun is 1-for-10 with six strikeouts - three in Sunday’s loss - over his last four games.
2. Cleveland SS Francisco Lindor has hit safely in nine straight games, going 18-for-43 with four homers and 10 RBIs.
3. The Brewers, who visit Cleveland June 5-6, host the Indians for the first time since 2015 when they split a pair of games.