Pittsburgh left-hander Bailey Falter will try to continue his recent string of strong starts on Sunday afternoon when the host Pirates conclude their four-game series versus the Milwaukee Brewers.
Promising rookie right-hander Logan Henderson (3-0, 1.69 ERA) will take the mound for the Brewers.
Falter (3-3, 3.50) has not allowed a run in his past three outings (16 2/3 innings), and only one run over his past four (23 2/3 innings). He has picked up wins in two of his past three starts and has been a bright spot for Pittsburgh, which has won the past three games he’s pitched.
Falter particularly has been strong at home, where he has a 2.32 ERA in five starts.
He is 1-1 with a 2.75 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against Milwaukee.
“I’ve got a job to do every five or six days, so I just try to go out there, compete my (butt) off and do the best I can to get these guys back in the dugout and score some runs,” Falter said.
Falter’s start might be well-timed for the Pirates, who have won four of five games for the first time this season following Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the Brewers.
A triumph Sunday would give Pittsburgh three consecutive victories for the first time this season, and it would mark the first time the Pirates would win back-to-back series. But Pittsburgh faces a major challenge against Henderson, who has proved to be more than just a capable fill-in for an injury-plagued Brewers rotation.
Henderson became the only pitcher in modern major league history to begin his career with wins in three consecutive appearances while striking out seven or more batters in each start, per OptaSTATS.
Henderson has succeeded by relying mostly on his fastball and changeup, although he’s begun trying to mix in a cutter and slider.
Henderson, who made his major league debut on April 20, struck out seven and allowed two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings of a 5-2 home win against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. Since his debut, he’s compiled a 5.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16 innings.
With Milwaukee waiting for seven starters to slowly make their way back from the injured list, Henderson is making a case to firm up his place in the rotation.
“Just trying to treat it like the same game,” Henderson, 23, told MLB Network in a recent interview. “I think I have unique characteristics in my fastball, I have a lower release slide and a lot of ride, so honestly, at times, I don’t understand, but I seem to get a lot of swing and miss on it, so it’s been great for my confidence.”
The Brewers’ offense needs a confidence boost after mustering just one run despite recording 11 hits on Saturday.
“Just didn’t get the big hit again,” manager Pat Murphy said. “Didn’t get a hit in a big spot. We’ve got to do more than that to beat teams that are playing good, and the Pirates have played a little better here in the last six or seven days.”
–Field Level Media
