The Milwaukee Brewers are struggling to find their confidence on offense.
Shut out in the first two games of their road series against the Cleveland Guardians, the Brewers will aim to get their bats going in the finale of the three-game set on Wednesday.
Milwaukee had just three hits in a 2-0 loss on Tuesday after managing seven hits in a 5-0 defeat on Monday. The Brewers managed only three extra-base hits, all doubles, in the two contests while going a combined 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
They rank 28th in the majors in slugging percentage (.349) and 27th in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.656).
“I think it’s what we’ve been talking about: It’s confidence in yourself, in ourselves as a group,” first baseman Rhys Hoskins said. “There’s some afraid-to-make-a-mistake type thing. That’s not a way to go about this game or into any competition.”
The struggles have led to the Brewers going 4-8 in May so far. They have been shut out four times this month, with the other two also coming in consecutive games (May 1 at the Chicago White Sox and May 2 against the Chicago Cubs). Only five times in team history have the Brewers failed to score in two straight games twice in the same month.
The latest defeat led to a postgame closed-door meeting that lasted nearly half an hour. Manager Pat Murphy led the gathering and still believes in his players.
“I like this team. I don’t think we’re super far away,” he said.
Even with their offensive woes, the Brewers remain only five games back of top spot in the National League Central.
“We have to win these games,” Murphy said. “Our offense has sputtered, especially in this month, for sure. It’s really sputtered, and we’ve got to get that back.”
The Brewers will hope to provide some offensive support for Logan Henderson (1-0, 1.50 ERA) on Wednesday. The 23-year-old right-hander will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville to make his second major league start.
Henderson allowed one run on three hits in six innings in his debut, a 14-1 win against the Athletics on April 20. He struck out nine and walked one. In six games (five starts) for Nashville this year, he went 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA.
The Guardians will counter with Gavin Williams (3-2, 4.38), who will be facing Milwaukee for the second time in his career. The right-hander gave up five runs on six hits in four innings vs. the Brewers last August.
Williams is coming off a win in his latest start, against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, when he struck out eight in five scoreless innings.
Cleveland’s rotation has been stellar of late, producing a 0.67 ERA the past five games and a 2.47 ERA this month. It’s something the Guardians will hope to maintain after putting right-hander Ben Lively on the 15-day injured list due to a right flexor tendon strain on Tuesday.
“We’re a team of five right there, so we’re trying to pick each other up and feed off each other as best as we can,” said Logan Allen, who threw six scoreless innings on Tuesday. “That’s our job to go out there and try to save the bullpen as best as we can. So any time we go as deep in the games as we can, that’s the goal, for sure.”
–Field Level Media
