Brewers at Twins
The first-place Milwaukee Brewers try for a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Sunday as they continue to hit - and win - on the road. Milwaukee (28-18), which leads Pittsburgh by 1 1/2 games in the National League Central, improved to 10-2 in its last 12 games away from home with a 5-4 victory Saturday and has already wrapped up their fourth straight road series win.
The Brewers were ranked 28th in the majors at 3.9 runs per game before averaging 5.8 runs while going 7-2 on a 10-game road trip that ends Sunday. Minnesota (18-23), which owned a five-game winning streak against Milwaukee prior to Friday's 8-3 loss, will be without Joe Mauer for a period of time. The first baseman was placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with concussion-like systems and a cervical strain after he was removed from Friday's contest because of neck stiffness and "balance issues and light sensitivity,'' according to the club. The Twins' Jake Odorizzi is 2-0 with a 2.02 ERA in his last four starts and opposes Junior Guerra, who snapped a three-game losing streak in his last start.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Junior Guerra (3-3, 3.08 ERA) vs. Twins RH Jake Odorizzi (3-2, 3.35)
Guerra allowed two runs, three hits and four walks while striking out three in six innings of a 7-2 victory at Arizona on Monday. The 33-year-old Venezuelan yielded nine runs in 10 innings over his previous two starts - losses to Cleveland and Pittsburgh - after suffering a hard-luck 3-0 loss to the Cubs in Chicago when he permitted one run and three hits in six frames. Guerra allowed two runs in one inning of relief in his only appearance against Minnesota as a rookie with the Chicago White Sox in 2015.
Odorizzi received a no-decision after allowing four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in six shutout frames of the Twins' 1-0 loss to Seattle on Monday. The 28-year-old Illinois native has lowered his ERA by 1.15 since going 1-2 in his first five starts with Minnesota after he was acquired from Tampa Bay during the offseason. Travis Shaw is 4-for-14 with six strikeouts versus Odorizzi, who defeated Milwaukee in his only start against the Brewers in 2014.
WALK-OFFS
1. Milwaukee LHP Josh Hader (2-0, 1.32 ERA) struck out six in 2 1/3 innings Saturday, giving him 56 in 27 1/3 frames this season as the Brewers improved to 16-0 when he pitches.
2. Twins CF Jake Cave, 25, homered in the second at-bat of his major-league debut Saturday after 634 games in the minors.
3. Milwaukee is 17-2 versus sub-.500 teams this season.