The task of continuing the Brewers’ perfect start will fall on left-hander Kyle Harrison, who will make his Milwaukee debut against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series.
The Brewers completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 9-7 comeback victory on Sunday, highlighted by Christian Yelich’s pinch-hit, three-run homer during the team’s six-run eighth inning.
The Rays, who open the season with a nine-game road trip, avoided a series sweep with an 11-7 victory Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Yandy Diaz had five hits and four RBIs to pace the Rays’ 17-hit attack.
After Milwaukee starter Brandon Sproat was tagged for seven runs in three innings Sunday, including a grand slam before recording an out, the bullpen responded with six scoreless frames against the White Sox. In three games, Brewers relievers have allowed one run in 14 2/3 innings.
Harrison, acquired in an offseason trade with the Red Sox, split last season with San Francisco and Boston. He was 1-1 with a 4.04 ERA in 11 games (six starts) between the two teams.
Harrison was 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in four spring training outings, including three starts. He received a no-decision in his lone career appearance against Tampa Bay despite allowing one run on four hits in six innings.
Despite the two losses this season, the Rays lead the majors in hitting through three games with a .339 team batting average, followed by the Brewers at .337. But Milwaukee has 11 extra-base hits, including four homers, while the Rays have six and one, respectively.
Tampa Bay right-hander Nick Martinez will look to slow the Brewers on Monday.
Martinez was 11-14 with a 4.45 ERA in 40 games, including 26 starts, with the Cincinnati Reds last season. He allowed 22 homers in 165 2/3 innings, and opponents hit .254 against him.
Martinez struggled in spring training, going 0-4 in four appearances and giving up 22 runs on 29 hits, including five homers, in 13 2/3 innings. In his final spring training start vs. Toronto, he was rocked for 11 runs on 12 hits in 3 2/3 innings.
“A lot of this spring was me trying new things that they were recommending, and a lot of it was, yeah, trying to feel out,” Martinez told MLB after his final spring training outing. “The focus was more of, you know, ‘Let’s try this. Let’s try that.’ Obviously, now, with games, the mindset is competing and switching that mentality a little bit.”
Martinez is 0-1 with a 4.65 ERA in 11 career appearances, including two starts, against Milwaukee.
Yelich said the Brewers need to keep the early wins in perspective. Last season, the Brewers started 0-4 with a minus-32 run differential but went on to win their third consecutive National League Central title.
“It’s still March. We have a long way to go,” Yelich said. “You don’t want to get caught up too much in the 3-0, 0-3, like you saw last year. We got off to the worst start in baseball history, run differential. Nobody was worse than us through four games in that stat.
“Last year ended up being fine in the end,” he said. “We still have a really long way to go here.”
–Field Level Media
