The Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks wrap up their four-game series on Sunday. Milwaukee has taken two of the first three contests.
Still Fighting
The Brewers are currently in second place in the NL Central, three games back from the Chicago Cubs. They were able to beat Arizona 8-3 in their last game bringing them to 52-48 this season. The Brewers started out the season very hot, but since then have been up and down and unable to get enough momentum to put together a solid streak. They are 5-5 over their last 10games and 22-27 on the road this year.
Brandon Woodruff (11-3) will get the start for the Brewers in this game. Woodruff improved his already impressive record this season after picking up the win in his last outing, where they beat the Braves 13-1. The 26-year-old currently leads the team with both his 11 wins and his 133 strikeouts. He also carries a solid 3.53 ERA.
As you would expect, the Brewers are led on offense by 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich. The Milwaukee rightfielder is batting .337 with 35 home runs and 76 runs batted in this season. In Saturday’s game against the Diamondbacks, Yelich went 3-5 with three runs and one RBI off a double.
The Brewers have a solid team all around with good pitching and an MVP leader, but as of now, they have played a little below expectations though they still have a very real chance in a tight, tough division. Look for Milwaukee to try to put together a streak and build some momentum to catch up to first place. This will be their last game on the road before heading home to take on the Reds.
Hanging On
After taking a loss in their last game against the Brewers, the Diamondbacks are now just above .500 at 50-49 this season. Arizona is in second in the NL West but 15 games back from the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks will most likely try to hold on to a Wild Card spot to sneak into the playoffs this season.
Starting on the mound for Arizona will be their 25-year-old rookie lefty, Alex Young. Since being called up, Young has been great for Arizona. He is currently 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA and 13 strikeouts. In his last outing, he picked up the win over the Rangers, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings.
Eduardo Escobar has been getting it done for Arizona in the batter’s box this season. He currently leads the team with his 22 home runs as well as 77 runs batted in. The 30-year-old veteran went 2-for-5 with a home run in Friday’s game against the Brewers. Leading the team in batting average this season with .318 has been second baseman Ketel Marte.
What to expect
Arizona will be at home with a young talented pitcher that has not taken a loss yet. While I like the Brewers on paper more, they have come up short against teams they should beat all year, going just 21-35 in games they are favored. I like Arizona for the upset in this one.
