Adrian Houser will look to continue a string of impressive Milwaukee starts as the Brewers clash with the visiting Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night in the second game of a three-game series.
Milwaukee earned a 1-0 win Monday in the series opener behind seven shutout innings from Freddy Peralta. The right-hander registered a season-high 10 strikeouts and allowed just two hits and one walk.
“We pitched really well tonight,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Freddy was great tonight. I thought he just got locked in and it was really, for seven innings, it was even, smooth, he didn’t get into trouble.”
Peralta’s impressive outing came after Brandon Woodruff allowed just one earned run in five innings against the Miami Marlins on Sunday. Woodruff also yielded two unearned runs, but he emerged with a 7-3 victory.
Thanks in large part to their starters, the Brewers have won three of their past four games. Milwaukee also is riding a four-game home winning streak.
Houser (3-3, 3.86 ERA) has the chance to keep momentum trending in the right direction, and he will look to bounce back from a pair of rough outings.
He has pitched to a 7.00 ERA over his past two starts, both of which came against the Cincinnati Reds. Houser allowed 13 hits across nine innings while walking five and striking out nine, earning one win and taking one loss.
The lineup behind him on Tuesday won’t include Andrew McCutchen, who is on the COVID-19 injured list, and it likely will be missing Willy Adames, who left the Sunday game with an ankle injury and didn’t play Monday.
Counsell said Adames might end up on the IL.
For the Braves, Ronald Acuna Jr. likely will be back in action on Tuesday after missing the past five games because of a groin injury. His offense would be greatly appreciated after Monday’s performance.
Atlanta’s offense never got going, managing just two hits. The last 17 Braves hitters were retired in order, and the bottom five batters in the lineup combined to go 0-for-15 with 11 strikeouts.
“Peralta was just spot on,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I mean, just go back and look at some of the at-bats, and he was just painting the black, and the stuff was good.
“You know you’re going to get good pitching the whole series when you come in here and play these guys.”
While Acuna is still working on getting back up to speed following his return from last season’s torn ACL, he has been productive while active. He is hitting .282 with two home runs and five RBIs through 10 games.
Left-hander Tucker Davidson (0-0, 16.88 ERA) will get the nod for the Braves on Tuesday in what will be his first start of the season.
In his lone major-league appearance this year, Davidson pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief against the Washington Nationals on April 11. He allowed five runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two.
Injuries have dealt a heavy blow to Atlanta’s pitching staff, as starter Mike Sororka and relievers Jay Jackson, Luke Jackson, Kirby Yates and Tyler Matzek are all out.
The Braves have lost three of their past four games and are 2-4 on the road in May.
–Field Level Media
