San Diego @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2019 ) San Diego 1, Milwaukee 3

The Milwaukee Brewers lost their MVP right fielder for the season and have not missed a beat, and they will try to keep the pressure on in the wild National League playoff race when they play the third of a four-game series with the visiting San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Mike Moustakas broke a tie with a seventh-inning solo homer and five pitchers combined on a four-hitter as the Brewers took Tuesday's meeting 3-1 to win for the 11th time in 12 games.

The phenomenal surge, which includes a 6-1 mark since losing Christian Yelich to a broken kneecap, has pulled Milwaukee to within two games of the first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central and even with the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card. The Brewers have also won five in a row at home and with Tuesday's victory they've clinched three straight winning campaigns for the first time since they were above .500 every year from 1978-83. They will aim to even the season series with the Padres at three wins apiece behind struggling right-hander Adrian Houser, who starts Wednesday. Dinelson Lamet gets the nod for San Diego, which has tied its season high with six consecutive defeats.

TV: 7:40 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Dinelson Lamet (2-5, 4.06 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Adrian Houser (6-6, 3.84)

Lamet has lost each of his last three starts despite allowing a total of six earned runs over 16 innings with 21 strikeouts. He has given up more than three earned runs just twice in 12 starts, but has lasted more than five innings only three times. The 27-year-old faced the Brewers once in 2017 and struck out a career high-tying 12 in six solid innings at Miller Park.

Houser was knocked out after three innings while giving up four runs in a rough outing at St. Louis his last time out. He owns a 3.12 ERA in 15 games (seven starts) at home while limiting opponents to a .220 average. The Oklahoma native faced the Padres earlier this year and recorded 3 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Padres activated C Francisco Mejia (oblique) from the 10-day injured list.

2. Brewers LHP Drew Pomeranz picked up his second save Tuesday and has a 2.53 ERA in 20 games since being traded from San Francisco, for whom his ERA was 5.68.

3. San Diego OF Hunter Renfroe returned from an ankle injury Tuesday to slug his 32nd home run and his first since Aug. 10.

PREDICTION: Brewers 5, Padres 4