Florida @ Milwaukee preview
American Family Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2010 ) Florida 4, Milwaukee 0
The Milwaukee Brewers’ starting pitching this season has never been better than September. It’s only fitting that the club's single-season wins leader over the last 23 years can close out the home schedule and keep the impressive numbers intact.
Chris Capuano pitches the home finale as the Brewers seek a 40th victory at Miller Park this season against the Florida Marlins on Sunday afternoon.
Milwaukee, which started the season 4-14 at home, was 35-26 since after taking the first two games of this series. But a 3-0 loss to Florida’s Chris Volstad on Saturday night ended any hopes of a winning record at Miller Park this season.
Brewers starters have an outstanding 2.63 ERA this month despite an 8-7 record. Capuano (3-4, 3.99 ERA) won 18 games for Milwaukee in 2005, the most since Teddy Higuera won 18 times in 1987, but soon thereafter the 32-year-old began to face adversity.
After going 10-4 and making the All-Star team in 2006, Capuano went 1-8 after the break and then went 19 consecutive starts - from May 13, 2007 to June 3, 2010 - without recording a victory, tying Bruce Chen of the 2006 Baltimore Orioles for the longest such streak since 1996.
In between, Capuano did not pitch in the majors in 2008-09 due to ineffectiveness and injuries. He went 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA in seven games in the minors this season before rejoining the club in June. He lost his first appearance, to the Marlins, yielding three runs and seven hits over 3 2/3 innings in the 3-2 loss. His streak came to an end on July 9 when he beat Pittsburgh 3-1.
Capuano has pitched well in four September starts, posting a 2.59 ERA with 17 hits and eight walks in 24 1/3 frames. Capuano allowed two runs and four hits with a season-high seven strikeouts over six innings in his last start Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds. He was not involved in the decision, a 5-2 loss.
Capuano is 3-2 with a 3.22 ERA in seven starts all-time against Florida and is 22-19 with a 4.11 ERA at Miller Park.
Adalberto Mendez (1-1, 1.56 ERA) will take the mound for Florida. The 28-year-old rookie made a sparkling debut Sept. 6 at Philadelphia, allowing just one hit and two walks with six strikeouts in six scoreless frames in a 7-1 victory.
Mendez last started on Tuesday at home against the New York Mets. He scattered 10 hits and walked two over seven frames but allowed just one run in a no-decision, a 5-2 Marlins victory. He was 5-5 with a 3.98 ERA in 40 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season.
Florida is 77-77 in an attempt to post a winning record for the third consecutive year, which would tie a franchise record.