Minnesota @ Milwaukee preview
Miller Park
Last Meeting ( May 30, 2013 ) Milwaukee 6, Minnesota 8
The Milwaukee Brewers have been tough to beat when they score at least four runs -- and that has happened an awful lot lately. The Brewers hope to keep the bats hot when they start a four-game home-and-home series with the Minnesota Twins on Monday. The interleague foes will play two games in Milwaukee before shifting the series to Minnesota for the final two contests.
The Brewers have scored six or more runs in six of their last seven games and another reinforcement is on the way with third baseman Aramis Ramirez on a rehabilitation assignment and expected to rejoin the club Wednesday. Brewers right-hander Matt Garza, a former first-round pick of the Twins who spent his first two big-league seasons with Minnesota, looks to pick up where teammate Kyle Lohse left off in a three-hit shutout of the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. The Twins rallied in the ninth inning for a 7-2 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday but are 2-6 in interleague play.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (4-4, 4.18 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Matt Garza (2-4, 4.84)
Gibson was brilliant his last time out with six scoreless innings, but he got a no-decision as the Twins were on the wrong end of a 1-0 game. He has had trouble stringing together strong outings though, and hasn't recorded consecutive quality starts since mid-April. The 26-year-old has never faced the Brewers.
Garza is winless in his last four starts but has recorded quality starts in three of his last five outings. He allowed only three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings last time out, but he was derailed by three unearned runs in the seventh. The 30-year-old is 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA in two matchups against his former team -- both quality starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Brewers SS Jean Segura has gone 6-for-10 and scored six runs in the first inning in 10 games since moving into the leadoff spot.
2. Current Twins players are a combined 3-for-30 with 11 strikeouts against Garza with OF Jason Kubel (1-for-8), C Kurt Suzuki (1-for-7) and 2B Brian Dozier (1-for-3) accounting for the hits.
3. Kubel is 0-for-21 with 10 strikeouts over his last seven games.
PREDICTION: Brewers 7, Twins 4