After losing one of their best offensive players to season-ending back surgery this week, the Milwaukee Brewers will need others to step up for their playoff run.
Brice Turang is doing his part so far.
Turang will try to help the Brewers win their fourth straight game when they oppose the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Saturday evening.
Turang contributed an RBI single up the middle as Milwaukee won 5-3 on Friday in the opener of a three-game series. The second baseman is 4-for-9 in the Brewers’ three-game winning streak, which has coincided with the announcement that three-time All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich is done for the year. Yelich underwent back surgery on Friday.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of Turang, “He understands where his flight plan is, ‘These are the balls I have to hit. When I’m rolling over to second, or hitting fly balls up too high, that’s not me.’
“That particular at-bat, the base hit up the middle, was just like he scripted it. He talked about it, ‘Hey, lay off high fastballs, this guy’s going to throw me something soft and go up the middle and I’m going to be able to get through it.’ ”
Willy Adames also continues to do his part, blasting his 22nd home run of the season on Friday, his league-leading 10th three-run shot of the season.
Cleveland plans to send Tanner Bibee to the mound on Saturday in an attempt to stem Milwaukee’s winning streak.
The Guardians are 18-5 in games that Bibee starts this season, most recently posting a 5-3 win against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
Bibee (10-4, 3.39 ERA) came into that game off a 12-day layoff, as he missed a start because of right shoulder tightness. He allowed one run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings at Minneapolis.
“Unbelievable,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “The guy has two weeks off, comes out and it’s probably some of the best he’s looked all year, to be honest. Little bit shaky with the command early, but then (he) really turned it on.”
Vogt said Bibee didn’t have his best slider against the Twins, but the right-hander’s fastball and changeup were dialed in.
“I thought it was super good,” Bibee said of his start. “I was efficient the entire time. I feel like if I had a normal pitch count, I would get through six, maybe seven (innings), depending on what goes on.”
Bibee has made one career start against Milwaukee, and he earned a win on June 24, 2023. He gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits in six innings.
The Brewers plan to start Freddy Peralta on Saturday.
Peralta (7-7, 4.11 ERA) has struggled with the long ball in recent outings, giving up seven home runs in his past four starts.
Most recently, the right-hander took the loss after allowing four runs and five hits in six innings of a 5-2 defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.
“I’m feeling healthy,” Peralta said. “All the pitches are good. Sometimes you don’t get the results you are expecting. I just have to keep going, keep battling, keep fighting. I just need a little break, that’s it, and I know it’s coming. I know everything is going to be all right at the end of the day.”
Peralta is 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA in two career appearances against the Guardians, including one start.
–Field Level Media
