The Milwaukee Brewers will be out to remain the only team in the majors that has not lost consecutive games this season when they host the Detroit Tigers on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.
Right-hander Colin Rea (0-0, 4.22 ERA), summoned from Triple-A Nashville after Brandon Woodruff went on the injured list, makes his third start for Milwaukee, while left-hander Matthew Boyd (0-1, 4.50) gets the nod for Detroit.
Milwaukee lost 12-5 at home to Boston on Sunday when the Red Sox erupted for nine runs in the eighth, including a grand slam and solo homer by Masataka Yoshida in the inning. The Brewers had been 13-0 this season when scoring four or more runs.
Detroit was swept three games in Baltimore, including a 2-1 loss in 10 innings Sunday.
Brian Anderson had two solo homers on Sunday for the Brewers, who battled back from a three-run deficit for a 4-3 lead in the seventh.
“This will be important for us to bounce back from,” Anderson said. “Obviously we fought all game and then we had that tough inning late. But our guys don’t quit. We’re going to come out tomorrow swinging it and throwing it, and hopefully back to the same old, same old.”
While most of the Brewers bullpen has been solid, Matt Bush and Javy Guerra have struggled.
Bush, who was tagged for Yoshida’s solo homer, also gave up a solo homer to Justin Turner in the eighth. Bush, whose ERA ballooned to 8.22, has allowed four homers in 7 2/3 innings this season. He gave up six homers in 23 innings last season with Milwaukee after being acquired from Texas.
Guerra gave up Yoshida’s grand slam and has allowed eight runs in 8 1/3 innings for an 8.64 ERA.
“Matt’s going to have to get outs for us, for sure,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “We’ve got to have an eight-man bullpen and that’s what we’re going to count on. He got huge outs in the Seattle series for us, had a bad day today.”
In his last start, Rea allowed four runs on five hits in five innings, but did not get the decision in a 6-5 win at Seattle. Opponents are batting .189 against Rea.
Rea is 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two career relief appearances versus Detroit, both in 2020 when he was with the Cubs, giving up one run in two innings.
Detroit left 13 runners on base Sunday, wasting a standout start from Eduardo Rodriguez, who retired the first 20 hitters he faced.
“It hurts to lose a game because we had plenty of opportunities,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “You can’t win games if you continually miss out on opportunities, especially low-scoring games like that.”
Boyd, making his fourth start, has allowed seven runs on 12 hits in 14 innings, but just one homer.
Boyd gave up three runs on five hits in a season-long five innings in his last start, but did not get the decision in a 4-3 win against Cleveland.
Boyd is 0-1 with a 14.09 ERA in two career starts versus Milwaukee, allowing 12 runs on 13 hits in 7 2/3 innings, including five homers.
–Field Level Media
