Arizona @ Milwaukee preview
Miller Park
Last Meeting ( Mar 16, 2014 ) Milwaukee 5, Arizona 6
The Milwaukee Brewers own the best record in the majors at 21-11 but are in the midst of their first significant losing stretch of the season. They’ll try to rebound from their fourth setback in five games on Monday, when they begin a three-game home series against the league-worst Arizona Diamondbacks. The Brewers raced out of the gate with wins in 20 of their first 27 games but have scored three runs or fewer in five straight thanks to an injury to Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez's extended slump.
Braun landed on the disabled list Saturday with a strained right oblique while Ramirez finished 1-for-15 in four games against Cincinnati as the Brewers dropped their third series of the season following a 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Reds on Sunday. Ramirez has only one hit in his last 36 at-bats overall but could end his slump against the Diamondbacks (11-23), who own the majors’ worst ERA at 4.95. Arizona saw its four-game road winning streak come to an end and fell to 8-8 away from home on Sunday, when it dropped a 4-3 decision to the San Diego Padres.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN (Arizona), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Mike Bolsinger (1-1, 5.79 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Matt Garza (1-3, 5.00)
Making his third major-league start, Bolsinger settled for a no-decision in Tuesday’s 5-4 loss at Colorado despite yielding four runs and nine hits over five-plus frames. The 26-year-old University of Arkansas alum notched his first career win on the road in his previous outing, holding the Chicago Cubs to an unearned run and striking out seven over 6 2/3 innings. Bolsinger, who is allowing right-handed hitters to bat .405 against him, will face Milwaukee for the first time.
Garza gave up five runs on five hits and four walks over three innings in Wednesday’s 9-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals before exiting with a bruised thumb. The 2005 first-round pick of the Minnesota Twins fell to 0-1 with an 8.36 ERA in three road outings as a result, but he is 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA while holding opponents to a .192 batting average in the same number of starts at home. Garza has faced the Diamondbacks four times in his career, compiling a 3-1 record and 2.48 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Diamondbacks went 6-1 against the Brewers in 2013, including a three-game sweep in Milwaukee.
2. Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt, who is 0-for-6 with three strikeouts against Garza, homered on Sunday and is 11-for-25 during his six-game hitting streak.
3. The Brewers lead the majors in quality starts (24), while the Diamondbacks rank last (nine).
PREDICTION: Brewers 5, Diamondbacks 3