Brewers at Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks look to snap out of their funk when they host the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night to open a three-game series between a pair of National League division leaders. The NL West-leading Diamondbacks have lost a season-high five straight games and scored only 10 times during that stretch, including a 6-4 setback against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Arizona, which holds a 2 1/2-game lead in the division, scored three runs in the seventh inning to tie it up Sunday night before the bullpen coughed up two more as the Diamondbacks dropped to 13-10 at home. Left-hander Patrick Corbin has been the best starting pitcher for Arizona and will get a chance to end the slide when he takes the mound against righty Junior Guerra in the series opener. Milwaukee leads the crowded NL Central race by one-half game to start the week after winning three of four at Colorado, capped by a 7-3 triumph Sunday as rookie pitcher Freddy Peralta struck out 13 in his major league debut. Lorenzo Cain, who was rested Sunday, is 9-for-21 during a five-game hitting streak and Hernan Perez is 7-for-14 in the first four contests of the road trip for the Brewers.
TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Junior Guerra (2-3, 3.09 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Patrick Corbin (4-0, 2.12)
Guerra has dropped three straight decisions, giving up nine runs, 12 hits and six walks over 10 innings in the last two starts after opening the season with four strong outings. The 33-year-old Venezuela native allowed three runs (two earned) across 22 innings in his first four starts of the season. Guerra is 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA in two starts against Arizona and is 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA in two outings on the road this season.
Corbin has struggled with his command of late, yielding six walks in the last two starts, but has limited opponents to three or fewer runs in all eight of his outings - two or fewer in six. The 28-year-old New York native has not registered a decision in his last three starts while permitting five runs over 17 2/3 innings after going 4-0 in the first five with a 1.89 ERA. Jonathan Villar is 5-for-10 against Corbin, who is 2-4 with a 5.03 ERA in seven games (six starts) versus Milwaukee.
WALK-OFFS
1. Milwaukee placed RHP Chase Anderson (illness) on the 10-day disabled list Sunday and recalled RHP Jorge Lopez.
2. Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt, a five-time All Star who belted 36 homers last season, has not gone deep in his last 25 games.
3. Brewers 3B Travis Shaw is 7-for-17 with two homers and four RBIs over the last four contests.