The Milwaukee Brewers have been one of the league’s best teams all season long.
That is, up until the past six games.
While the Crew has struggled mightily over the last week, the team is poised to rebound from this slump tonight against the Miami Marlins. Here is everything you need to know heading into tonight’s contest.
Starting Pitchers
Adrian Houser
Adrian Houser will be tasked to tame the red-hot Marlins tonight, who have won their last four by a combined total of 26-5. Houser enters tonight’s contest with a 2-3 record, a 3.52 ERA, and a 4.31 ground ball to fly ball ratio. Keeping the ball on the ground has been key for Adrian Houser’s success this season. He’s had a low line drive rate, sitting at around 21%, and a ground ball percetage around 60%.
While Houser has been able to keep the ball on the ground, his average exit velocity has skyrocketed from 86.1 miles per hour in 2020 to 90.3 in 2021. With that high of an exit velocity, it will be extremely crucial for Houser to keep the ball on the ground tonight.
Daniel Castano
Left-hander Daniel Castano, who was recently sent to the minor leagues by Miami, will make the start tonight for the Marlins. Castano has started in three games this season, going 0-1 with a 4.73 ERA. Castano is a groundball-first pitcher, with an extremely low strikeout rate. His 8.6% strikeout percentage is in the bottom 10% of pitchers in baseball right now. As is his expected batting average and expected earned run average, which sit at .317 and 6.77, respectively.
Castano’s last start this season also came against Milwaukee, and was also a matchup against Adrian Houser. That game he went only 3.1 innings, surrendering three runs on six hits, and striking out three. He also gave up two home runs, including one to Houser, the pitcher.
Someone get that ball!
Houser’s first career home run ball ties the game.@AdrianHouser12 | #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/6Bw5STcoca
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 28, 2021
Starting Lineups
Brewers
Wong (2B), Cain (CF), Taylor (LF), García (RF), Urías (SS), McKinney (1B), Piña (C), Reyes (3B), Houser (P)
Since returning from the injured list, center fielder Lorenzo Cain is batting exactly .250 with one home run and a .438 on-base percentage. His yearly slash line, though, is not as pretty as his last five games. He’s batting .184/.295/.447 this season, which is not the production the Brewers need to win games. Cain will need to be a key contributor alongside the hot bats of Kolten Wong, Tyrone Taylor, and Avisaíl García to get the Brewers a win tonight.
Marlins
Rojas (SS), Aguilar (1B), Dickerson (LF), Duvall (CF), Anderson (3B), Cooper (RF), Díaz (2B), Wallach (C), Castano (P)
Isan Díaz, a piece of the trade package that sent Christian Yelich to the Crew, has started to wake up with the bat. While only batting .238 to start the season, Díaz has posted a .393 OBP and a .524 slugging percentage. His OPS of .917 is the highest of his career, and second highest on the roster. He went 2-for-4 last night against Milwaukee with a grand slam, earning him another start in the lineup tonight in place of Jazz Chisolm Jr., who remains on the injured list.
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