The Milwaukee Brewers look to avoid a four-game series sweep when they face the visiting San Francisco Giants for the final time this season on Sunday afternoon.
The Giants have taken the first three games of this set by notably limiting the Brewers to just two total runs in 5-0, 15-1 and 3-1 victories.
On Saturday afternoon, it was Logan Webb shutting down the Brewers, going seven strong innings while allowing just one run and striking out 11. A Mitch Haniger two-run home run in the eighth gave San Francisco all it needed to win.
“We’re facing some adversity, not collectively swinging the bats well,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said after the loss on Saturday. “It’s frustrating for the offense understandably, and it puts more pressure on our pitching. We just need to keep having good at-bats and keep working, the runs will come.”
Conversely, the Giants are playing their best baseball. San Francisco is 16-9 in May, above .500 for the first time all season and most notably, has won 10 of its previous 12 games.
“When you have a guy like Haniger start to really drive the baseball consistently, it makes our lineup really deep,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “It’s really encouraging that we can do damage up and down the lineup.”
The Brewers’ struggling offense doesn’t get any favors on Sunday against Giants starter Alex Cobb, who is 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA, fourth best in all of baseball.
Cobb has started 10 games, totaling 58 innings and striking out 52 while walking just 14. He started against Milwaukee on May 6 and dominated, pitching seven shutout innings while allowing five hits and striking out five to pick up the victory. He’s 2-1 with an 0.64 ERA in four starts against the Brewers.
Cobb will oppose against Brewers starter Colin Rea, who is 1-3 with a 4.71 ERA, but picked up his first win as a starter since 2016 in his last outing against Houston.
The right-hander entered the rotation when Brandon Woodruff went down with injury in April and will make his eighth start and ninth appearance. His last start was arguably his best, pitching 5 1/3 shutout innings against the reigning World Series champions while striking out four.
The Giants have had the Brewers’ number this season, currently 5-1 against the NL Central leaders after winning two of three in the first week of May in San Francisco.
Brewers shortstop Willy Adames, who was struck in the head by a foul ball in Friday’s game, was resting at home after being discharged from the hospital on Saturday morning.
Adames was placed on the 7-day concussion IL and was replaced on the roster by infielder Andruw Monasterio.
–Field Level Media
