The Milwaukee Brewers will be looking for another strong outing from ace right-hander Freddy Peralta when they return home to open a three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Monday.
Peralta (5-4, 4.06 ERA) will be opposed by right-hander Michael Lorenzen (4-3, 3.00).
Texas won its season-high-tying fourth straight with a 4-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday behind veteran Max Scherzer, making his first start after coming off the 60-day injured list recovering from back surgery. Scherzer allowed just one hit over five innings, striking out four in a 57-pitch outing.
The Brewers avoided a four-game sweep at San Diego with a 6-2 victory over the Padres on Sunday. Rookie right-hander Tobias Myers allowed one run on five hits over five innings. Brice Turang tripled to key a five-run second inning.
Milwaukee, which finished its road trip 3-4, is five games in front of second-place St. Louis in the National League Central. Texas is third in the American League West, 6 1/2 games behind the front-running Seattle Mariners.
The Brewers are 22-12 at home, going 17-5 after a 5-7 start. Milwaukee is 8-2-1 in home series.
In his previous start, Peralta allowed three hits in six innings in a 2-0 victory over the Angels. He struck out eight and walked two, throwing 101 pitches.
“He expects this. He expects six shutout (innings) every time, and that’s hard,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after Peralta’s last start. “This is Major League Baseball. He’s been around a while and guys know him, guys are getting up for him. I’m really proud Freddy battled the way he did tonight.”
Peralta is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in two career games (one start) against Texas. He got the win last season in his only start at the Rangers, allowing one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out 11.
Turang hit .474 (9-for-19) in the San Diego series, driving in seven runs.
Lorenzen is 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA over his past seven starts, lowering his ERA from 4.66 to 3.00 over that span.
In his last outing, Lorenzen allowed three runs on four hits in six innings, including a pair of solo homers, but did not get the decision in a 7-6 loss to the Mets.
“You hope to be the guy that comes in and sets the tone and gets you back on track,” Lorenzen told MLB after his last start. “That’s what I tried to do today. I just wasn’t good enough. So, it’s disappointing, but our guys are going to show up and continue to work. Obviously, these guys know what it’s like to be champions, so if anyone knows how to do it, it’s this clubhouse.”
Lorenzen is 1-4 with a 5.60 ERA in 35 career appearances vs. Milwaukee, including five starts.
Rookie Wyatt Langford had a run-scoring double in the Rangers’ win on Sunday, giving him 10 RBIs in the past five games, along with two homers.
–Field Level Media
