It’s time to hit the “restart” button if you’re the Milwaukee Brewers.
Coming off of a five-game losing streak at the hands of the Dodgers and Phillies, the Brewers set sail for Miami. The Marlins and Brewers start a three-game weekend series there on Friday.
Here’s a look ahead at what to expect in these upcoming games.
Pitching Matchups
Game 1 – Suter (2-1) vs. Rogers (3-2)
Friday’s matchup is between long reliever and spot starter Brent Suter and stud rookie fireballer Trevor Rogers. Suter is making his first appearance as a starter for the Crew in 2021. So far, Suter has been one of the team’s more reliable options out of the bullpen, posting a 2.70 ERA over 16.2 innings pitched. Rogers is making an early case for National League Rookie of the Year, with a 1.91 ERA and 44 strikeouts over 33 innings. He started a game against the Brewers a few weeks ago, allowing no runs on six hits, with seven strikeouts over the course of six innings.
The key for Suter against Miami? Continue to push the tempo of the game while on the mound. Suter is not an overpowering pitcher, with average fastball speed sitting around 88 miles per hour. His breaking pitches do not have the best movement in the league, either. But, what Suter does better than any other pitcher on the roster is push the tempo. He makes hitters uncomfortable in the batter’s box with his unorthodox delivery and anxiousness to keep throwing one pitch right after the other.
Game 2 – Houser (2-3) vs. TBD
Adrian Houser has begun to look like pre-2020 Adrian Houser once again. He comes into this game with a 3.52 ERA, only 29 hits allowed, and a 60.2% ground ball percentage. Like Trevor Rogers, Houser has also pitched against the Marlins this season, securing the win after 5.2 innings of work. He allowed three runs on five hits, one walk, and struck out seven batters.
Game 3 – TBD vs. Alcantara (1-2)
The Brewers do not have a starter slated to pitch on Sunday just yet. The Marlins are sending Sandy Alcantara to the bump, though, who pitched a gem against the Brewers on April 28th. He got the win after seven innings, allowing only five hits and two runs. Alcantara is following up a strong 2020 season with an even better one in 2021, with a 24.6% strikeout percentage and a 2.95 ERA over 42.2 innings.
Players to Watch
Avisaíl García
What if I told you that Avisaíl García had the most hits on the Brewers’ roster this season?
I know I would think I’m crazy.
Alas, it’s true. García has 27 hits right now, the most on the team, and is on a seven-game hitting streak at the moment, as well. He’s logged 12 hits in that span with a .545 batting average. This season, he’s batting .267 with three home runs and 16 RBIs, posting a .728 OPS as well. García is easily one of the team’s hottest hitters right now, and will be a key factor in any Brewers’ wins over the next three games.
Kolten Wong
Kolten Wong has a slightly better batting average than García this season.
Granted, it’s a .268 to .267 comparison.
Nevertheless, Wong has provided some necessary pop to the Brewers lineup since returning from the injured list a few weeks ago. He’s batted .327 since April 23rd, also hitting two home runs in that span. His last two games, though, were not the greatest, going 0-for-9 in Wednesday and Thursday’s contests. Wong should bounce back, though, as this two game skid is the longest hitless streak he’s had since April 8th.
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