The Milwaukee Brewers won their final seven games before the All-Star break and have not cooled off upon their return, winning five of six to take over first place in the National League Central.

The Brewers will try to continue their surge when they open a three-game series against the visiting Miami Marlins on Friday afternoon. The early start is part of a celebration for the team’s 25th anniversary of its home ballpark.

Milwaukee is coming off a 17-hit attack at the Seattle Mariners in a 10-2 win on Wednesday, a day after the Brewers saw an 11-game winning streak end in a 1-0 loss to Seattle.

“These guys, you can plan on them responding,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “That’s the ‘who.’ When you put together these clubs, we’re conscious of the ‘who.'”

Injuries to key offensive pieces like Rhys Hoskins, Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick could still prove problematic, and the always uncomfortable July 31 trade deadline looms as the Brewers try to maintain their focus.

“I’m just worried about this group in the clubhouse right now and what’s going on with them,” Murphy said. “I don’t want them looking over their shoulder.”

Right-hander Freddy Peralta will try to win his eighth consecutive start when he takes the mound for the Brewers on Friday.

Peralta (12-4, 2.85 ERA) came into Thursday leading the MLB in victories and was 15th in ERA.

Peralta became the first Milwaukee pitcher since Cal Eldred in 1992 to win seven straight starts when he earned the win against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Saturday.

Peralta wasn’t at his best, allowing four runs and five hits in five innings with three walks and four strikeouts. He departed with a 5-4 lead and the Brewers held on for an 8-7 victory.

Peralta hasn’t been particularly successful against the Marlins, owning a 3-4 career record and 4.31 ERA over 10 appearances, including seven starts.

The Marlins are also are playing well since the All-Star break, taking two of three from both the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres.

Miami plans to start right-hander Cal Quantrill (3-8, 5.24) in the series opener.

Quantrill threw six shutout innings in his last start, a 3-1 win against the Royals on Saturday. It was his first outing of at least six innings in 19 starts this season.

“It’s nice to finally get through six,” Quantrill said. “It feels like it’s been a talking point, but it’s also been a fight this year. Feel like a couple times I probably could have, but this time we did, and that’s good.”

Quantrill allowed just two singles and didn’t walk a batter in the 69-pitch outing. He also did not allow a baserunner to reach scoring position and retired the final 10 batters he faced.

Getting through the batting order a second time unscathed has been a challenge for Quantrill this season.

“A lot of times, it’s what you did before: How you got guys out the first time through the order, and then what you have left to show them the second time through,” he said. “(Against the Royals), I thought that we did a really good job of having two or three different methods of getting guys out and not having to kind of show them whatever it was we wanted to do the first time, which made it a little easier the second time.”

Quantrill does not have a decision and owns a 3.86 ERA in three appearances against the Brewers in his career, including two starts.

–Field Level Media