With the day off on Monday, the Milwaukee Brewers will head into a long week full of games. Tuesday will kick off a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on the Twins’ home turf.
The Milwaukee Brewers are on a three-game winning streak after taking three out of the four games at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs this past weekend. With the bats waking up and pitching coming alive, the Brewers will need to continue to take this hot streak.
Currently, they sit 3.5 games behind the NL Central-leading Cubs (13-6) and are third behind the St. Louis Cardinals who are 5-4. The Brewers are looking to make a third consecutive postseason appearance. If the Brewers stay where they are, they’re going to secure a spot. But, it would be nice to bring the pennant title home to Milwaukee.
When the Brewers last faced the Twins, the series was easy to forget. They lost two of the three games at Miller Park. Because of that, it’s going to be another challenge for them as they travel to Minnesota. The Twins lead the AL Central with a record of 14-8, so the hot streak must continue and is vital if the Brewers want to sweep another series.
Pitching Match-Ups
Tuesday will be the return of Corbin Burnes to the rotation. Eric Lauer was optioned to the alternate training site in Appleton, meaning there was an open spot in the rotation. Burnes made a start in the Opening Series at Wrigley Field, but once Lauer was cleared to come back, Burnes was quickly replaced. In his last few outings, Burnes has pitched in relief for LHP Brett Anderson. When comparing Anderson and Burnes in terms of pitching, Burnes has the better end of the stick.
Burnes is posting a 3.38 ERA with 24 strikeouts over 16 innings. He’s definitely been the topic of discussion with fans and commentators as he’s been improving his repertoire and adding more to his arsenal of pitches.
Kenta Maeda will take the mound Tuesday for the Twins, who absolutely dominated the Brewers when he last faced them. He went 6.2 innings and only allowed the crew to get two runs. It’ll be interesting to see how the Brewers’ offense does against him now that they have a feel for how he is on the mound.
Brett Anderson Looks to Turn Things Around
Brett Anderson will have the ball on Wednesday and will hopefully have a better performance. His last three starts, he’s posted a 4.91 ERA and 1.64 WHIP by allowing six earned runs in 11 innings. He hasn’t really been the pitcher fans were expecting to see, and they remain hopeful in a successful outing. Anderson is 0-2 on the year, and the Brewers have lost all three of his starts. It’s time for things to change.
The pitcher for the Twins on Wednesday is to be announced.
The Brewers’ ace Brandon Woodruff will face the Twins’ ace Jose Berrios on Thursday. Even though Berrios is considered their ‘ace’, he’s had a pretty rough go on the season. Berrios has pitched a 5.92 ERA, while Woodruff has pitched a 3.16 ERA.
The Brewers’ Offense is Alive
The Brewers’ offense has shown itself the last couple of games against the Cubs, which was very needed. However, the Twins’ offense is a powerful force. So, the Brewers need to do just as good or better to outperform them.
Players such as Christian Yelich, Keston Hiura, Justin Smoak, and Avisail Garcia have been starting to emerge from their slumps. Luis Urias and Orlando Arcia are crushing the game so far, proving themselves to be strong people in the lineup.
In order for the Brewers to keep the mentioned hot streak going, their offense is going to have to stay intact. The hype from winning three straight against the Cubs needs to continue to travel with them. Another series win for the crew would be a confidence booster for the team heading into a long road trip.
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