Veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin will try again for his first victory of the season when the visiting Washington Nationals take on the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night in the middle game of their three-game weekend series.
Corbin (0-6, 6.28 ERA) will be opposed by Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff (4-2, 5.35).
The Brewers took the opener 7-0 on Friday night behind seven scoreless innings from Eric Lauer. Rowdy Tellez snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the sixth inning, and Tyrone Taylor capped a five-run eighth with a three-run shot.
The Nationals’ Lane Thomas was thrown out at the plate trying for an inside-the-park homer in the seventh, and Washington turned a triple play in the bottom of the inning.
Washington, which started a stretch of 17 games in 17 days Friday, fell to 3-8 in its past 11 games with its fourth shutout loss of the season.
“We’re pressing a little bit at the plate now,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We just can’t anything consistently going. We’ve just got to continue to work good at-bats and try to get an inning or two where we get some guys on so (that) some of our bigger hitters can drive them in. We hit the ball, but very sporadic.”
Corbin, who was 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA during the Nationals’ 2019 World Series title season, was 9-16 last year with a 5.82 ERA. He has allowed 46 hits in 38 2/3 innings in eight starts this season, with 19 walks.
Corbin is 3-6 with a 4.55 ERA in 11 career appearances against Milwaukee, including 10 starts.
Milwaukee is 20-6 against right-handed starters this season but 5-8 against lefties.
Woodruff picked up the win in his last outing, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits in five innings as Milwaukee beat the Miami Marlins 7-3.
An All-Star last season, Woodruff has been inconsistent this year. However, he is 3-0 with an ERA of 0.70 in five games, including three starts, against the Nationals.
Brewers right fielder Hunter Renfroe is heating up at the plate. He had three hits Friday, including his 500th career hit, and drove in two runs.
Renfroe, who hit 31 homers last season for the Boston Red Sox, has hit safely in seven of his past eight games, going 13 for 30 with two doubles, three homers and seven RBIs.
“I’ve always started a little bit slow as far as the first few weeks, high strikeout numbers and just getting back into major league baseball. But there’s nothing obviously you can create for that,” Renfroe said. “Right now, I feel good at the plate. I’m seeing the ball well. My timing’s on. I’m able to sit on pitches like a fastball and still be able to hit a slider or a changeup.”
–Field Level Media
