The gauntlet of opposing starters will continue for the Milwaukee Brewers when they host the Detroit Tigers and right-hander Jack Flaherty on Tuesday night in the middle game of a three-games series.
Flaherty (1-0, 1.62 ERA) will be opposed by right-hander Quinn Priester (0-0, 1.80 ERA), who will make his second start for the Brewers after being acquired from Boston this month.
Detroit won the series opener 9-1 on Monday behind Tarik Skubal, who allowed four hits over seven scoreless innings as he was staked to a comfortable lead. Kerry Carpenter had his fifth homer of the season, tying him with Spencer Torkelson for the team lead.
The Brewers committed two errors that led to four unearned runs and had several other defensive lapses.
“This is the fourth time we’ve been blown out in 17 games,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said afterward. “We didn’t get blown out four times in 162 (last season), I don’t think. But this is the fourth time in 17 games, so that is concerning.”
Milwaukee has lost three straight, including the final two games at Arizona, which started Corbin Burnes and Zac Gallen. Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, retired the first 12 hitters before Rhys Hoskins’ lead-off single in the fifth.
Flaherty has not allowed more than two runs in any of his three starts. His last time out, he allowed three hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings but did not get a decision in a 4-3 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday.
“When the other guy’s putting up zeros, it’s your job to get the team back in the dugout and send them back out there, keep the game 0-0 for as long as you can,” Flaherty said afterward. “I just have to focus on my job and do what I’ve got to do.”
He has allowed just three earned runs in 16 2/3 innings, striking out 21 and walking seven. The Tigers are a 5-0 when they receive a quality start this season.
The Brewers, however, have had success against Flaherty, who spent seven seasons with division rival St. Louis. Flaherty has faced the Brewers 19 times, including 18 starts. He is 4-7 with a 4.58 ERA vs. them.
Priester will make his second start for Milwaukee. In his Brewers debut Thursday at Colorado, he allowed one run in five innings but did not get the decision in his team’s 7-2 loss.
“It was a good start,” Murphy said afterward. “I was impressed with him, and he competed. He’s got some work to do to be a full-time major league pitcher, and he knows that. But he did the job.”
Priester has never faced the Tigers. Christian Yelich, batting just .143 and hitless in his last 13 at-bats, was given his first game off Monday but is expected back in the Milwaukee lineup Tuesday.
Brice Turang has hit safely in 16 of 17 games this season, batting .333 with a team-high 23 hits. William Contreras extended his hitting streak to eight games. He is batting .367 with three homers and 10 RBIs over that span.
–Field Level Media
Milwaukee is 0-8 when outhit by their opponent and 0-6 when the opponent scores first.
