Minnesota @ Milwaukee preview
Miller Park
Last Meeting ( May 27, 2013 ) Minnesota 6, Milwaukee 3
Heading toward their worst month in nearly nine years, the Milwaukee Brewers look for a split of their half of a home-and-home interleague series with the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. The Brewers ended April with a 14-11 record, but have since fallen into a last-place tie in the National League Central. Not even Carlos Gomez’s second two-homer game in three days Monday could save them from falling to a league-worst 5-19 in May – their worst mark in any month since they went 6-21 in August 2004.
The Twins entered the series opener in similar fashion as Milwaukee, but won for the second time in three games following a 10-game losing streak. Joe Mauer homered for the second time in three games in the 6-3 victory, sparking an offense that struggled to average 2.7 runs during its 1-11 stretch. The Twins have been two different teams depending on the time of day; they improved to 12-10 in day games with Monday’s victory, but are 8-18 in night contests.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports North (Minnesota), Fox Sports Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins LH Scott Diamond (3-4, 4.96 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Alfredo Figaro (0-0, 3.46)
Diamond failed to last through six innings for the third straight outing in a 7-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. The left-hander yielded three runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings and has walked seven batters in those three starts (15 2/3 innings) after issuing only three free passes over his first five turns (29 2/3 innings). Diamond won his only career start against the Brewers last season, allowing three runs over 5 1/3 innings in an 11-3 victory.
With Hiram Burgos on the disabled list, the Brewers will turn to Figaro to make his first major-league start since 2009 and the fifth of his career. The 28-year-old Dominican right-hander has made 15 relief appearances for Milwaukee in 2013 after serving as a starter for Orix in Japan the past two seasons. He has surrendered at least one run in each of his last three outings (spanning 4 1/3 innings) after carrying a 2.11 ERA through his first 21 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Brewers 3B Aramis Ramirez (right knee) and LF Ryan Braun (right thumb) did not start Monday, although Braun lined out to end the game as a pinch hitter.
2. Mauer – a career .344 hitter in May – is batting .393 this month.
3. Milwaukee leads the majors with 64 infield hits.
PREDICTION: Twins 7, Brewers 5