The Milwaukee Brewers will turn to rookie right-hander Tobias Myers as they look to salvage a split against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday afternoon in the finale of the four-game series between division leaders.
After losing the first two games of the series, in which the Dodgers pounded out six homers, the Brewers turned three errors into four unearned runs for a 5-4 victory Wednesday night.
Milwaukee allowed three unearned runs in the first but responded with three runs in the second and one in the fourth. The Dodgers tied the score in the seventh, but the Brewers answered in the bottom half when Jackson Chourio’s single got by right fielder Mookie Betts for a run-scoring error.
The Brewers got a huge save from Devin Williams, who retired Shohei Ohtani, Betts and Freddie Freeman in order in the ninth. It was the second save for Williams, the reigning NL reliever of the year who missed the season’s first 104 games with a back injury.
In four outings since his return, Williams has allowed one run in five innings with nine strikeouts.
Milwaukee avoided its first four-game losing streak and is the only team in the majors that has not dropped at least four in a row this season. The Brewers lead the National League Central by a season-high 8 1/2 games over the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds.
“I think it’s just the overall mentality that we have in this clubhouse,” said Jake Bauers, who accounted for the Brewers’ first run with a solo homer. “There’s a lot of guys that don’t like to lose. A lot of guys that work hard, a lot of guys that prepare the right way. And when you do that, I think you’re going to have stats like that, and you’re going to put yourself in the best position every day. And I think that’s what we’re doing.”
The Dodgers saw their lead in the rugged National League West cut to 2 1/2 games over the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres, who have each won nine of their past 10 games.
Ohtani, who leads the NL with 37 home runs, failed to homer on Wednesday after going deep in each of the series’ first two games. However, he stole two bases to become the first Dodgers player with at least 35 homers and 35 stolen bases since Matt Kemp in 2011.
Myers (6-5, 2.79 ERA) is coming off one of his best major league starts. He allowed three hits and struck out nine over 7 1/3 scoreless innings but did not get the decision in the Brewers’ 1-0 victory over Cincinnati on Saturday.
Myers is 1-3 in his past seven starts despite a 2.38 ERA over that span. He is 0-1 in two starts this month, despite allowing just one run in 12 1/3 innings with 11 strikeouts and one walk.
He has never faced the Dodgers.
Los Angeles will counter with Jack Flaherty (9-5, 2.97 ERA), making his third start since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline.
The right-hander is 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA since the trade, allowing four runs in 11 2/3 innings, with 17 strikeouts and two walks. In his most recent outing, he allowed four runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 9-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates last on Friday. Flaherty struck out 10 and walked one.
“One thing I have learned about Jack, a situation, a moment isn’t going to be too big for him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said afterward. “He has the ability to make pitches when he needs to, and that’s huge.”
Flaherty is 4-7 with a 4.53 ERA in 18 career games vs. Milwaukee, including 17 starts.
–Field Level Media
