Friday, March 29, 2024
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MLB Preview: Milwaukee Brewers (24-21) at Tampa Bay Rays (34-13)

MILWAUKEE BREWERS NOTES:

TODAY’S GAME: Is game 6 (1-4) of a 6-game, 7-day road trip to St. Louis (1-2) and Tampa Bay (0-2)…..the team returns to American Family Field following this trip for a 7-game homestand against Houston (3g) and San Francisco (4g).

IN THE TRAINER’S ROOM: RHP Jason Alexander (right rotator cuff), LHP Aaron Ashby (left labrum), RHP JB Bukauskas (neck), RHP Matt Bush (right rotator cuff), LHP Wade Miley (left lat), OF Garrett Mitchell (left shoulder), INF Luis Urías (left hamstring), 1B Luke Voit (neck), LHP Justin Wilson (left elbow) and RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) are on the injured list…..Alexander, Ashby, Mitchell, Urías, Wilson and
Woodruff are on the 60-day IL.

IN THE STANDINGS (52 days): The Brewers have spent the following number of days alone or tied at each position in the NL Central standings: FIRST: 31, SECOND: 19, THIRD: 2, FOURTH: 0, FIFTH: 0…..the team is currently tied for first place with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Brewers are 7-8-0 in series play, including this series.
Game 1: 7-8, Game 2: 9-6, Game 3: 7-7, Game 4: 1-0
Sweep Wins (3): vs. NYM (3g, 4/3-4/5), at SEA (3g, 4/17-4/19), vs. KC (3g, 5/12-5/14)
Sweep Losses (1): at COL (3g, 5/2-5/4)

AT HOME: The Brewers are 13-8 at home, going 4-3-0 in series play…..the team went
46-35 at home last season, going 15-8-4 in series play.
ON THE ROAD: The Brewers are 11-13 on the road, going 3-5-0 in series play, including this series…..the team went 40-41 on the road last season, going 9-12-5 in series play.

LET’S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE: The Brewers have made eight replay challenges this season, going 5-3…..their last challenge (won) came on May 19 at Tampa Bay as a safe call at third base (Randy Arozarena) was overturned.

TODAY’S STARTER: #51 – RHP FREDDY PERALTA (8gs, 4-3, 4.11)
PERALTA AT A GLANCE: Freddy Peralta, 26, will make his ninth start of the season…..Peralta last started on Monday at St. Louis and took an 18-1 loss (5.1ip, 6h, 6r, 6er, 5bb, 4k, 1hr, 1hbp, 1wp, 94 pitches)…..the team is 4-4 in his starts…..he has made 5 quality starts…..opponents are batting .236 (41-for-174, 5hr)…..Peralta was acquired from Seattle, along with RHP Carlos Herrera and RHP Daniel Missaki, in exchange for 1B Adam Lind on 12/9/15…..on 2/28/20, he signed a 5-year contract through the 2024 season with club options for 2025 and 2026.

LAST SEASON: Peralta went 4-4 with a 3.58 ERA in 18 games/17 starts…..he held opponents to a .190 batting average with 86 strikeouts in 78.0 innings…..the team went 8-9 in his starts…..he produced 4 quality starts…..he was on the injured list twice last season: 5/23-8/2 (right posterior shoulder strain) and 9/9-9/24 (right shoulder inflammation).

CAREER: Is 34-20 with a 3.85 ERA in 124 games/75 starts (461ip, 197er)…..is in his sixth Major League season, all with the Brewers (2018-23)…..is 26-18 with a 3.84 ERA as a starter (377ip, 161er) and 8-2 with a 3.86 ERA in relief (84ip, 36er)…..was an All-Star in 2021.

CAREER AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD: Is 22-11 with a 3.23 ERA in 67 games/39 starts (253.1ip, 91er)…..is 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in 5 starts this season (29.2ip, 8er)…..went 3-4 with a 4.34 ERA in 11 games/10 starts last season (45.2ip, 22er)…..

CAREER ON THE ROAD: Is 12-9 with a 4.59 ERA in 57 games/36 starts (207.2ip, 106er)…..is 0-2 with a 7.16 ERA in 3 starts this season (16.1ip, 13er)…..went 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA in 7 starts last season (32.1ip, 9er).

CAREER vs. RAYS: His only career outing vs. Tampa Bay came in a start on 8/9 last season at American Family Field…..he earned a 5-3 win (5ip, 2h, 2r, 2er, 0bb, 4k, 1hr).

TAMPA BAY RAYS NOTES:

GOING FOR THE SWEEP — Tampa Bay earned its second straight win over Milwaukee with an 8-4 victory yesterday afternoon…RHP Zach Eflin worked 7.0 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with no walks and eight strikeouts…the Rays recorded their MLB-best 15th game with 3+ home runs, including those from 1B Yandy Díaz (3-for4, HR, 3RBI, R), C Christian Bethancourt (2-for-4, HR, RBI, R) and DH Harold Ramírez (1-for-4, HR, RBI, R).

The Rays improved to 21-3 at Tropicana Field this season, tying the 1978 Boston Red Sox for the best 24-game home start in MLB history (since 1901)…the 1978 Red Sox also won 22 of their first 25 home games.

Zach Eflin became the third Ray to win six of his first seven decisions with the club, joining Josh Fleming (6-1 from 2020-2021) and Charlie Morton (7-0 in 2019).

Tampa Bay has scored 8+ runs in 22 of its 47 games this season…the only other team since 1901 to score 8+ runs in 22 of its first 47 games is the 1930 New York Giants.

FOLLOW THE LEADER — Yandy Díaz has a career-best 13-game hitting streak since 5/3, batting .367 (18-for-49) with four doubles, 4 HR and 11 RBI during the run…it is the longest stretch by a Tampa Bay hitter since Wander Franco (13G) from 9/14-27, 2022… it is tied with ARI Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for the second-longest active streak in the majors, trailing only MIA Bryan De La Cruz (14G).

He also has a 17-game on-base streak since 4/27, slashing .386/.500/.737 (22-for-57) with 10 extra-base hits, 12 RBI, 10 walks and only 11 strikeouts in that stretch…it is the third-longest active run in the AL behind MIN Byron Buxton (21G) and TEX Marcus Semien (18G).

Díaz has reached base safely in 27 of his last 28 games overall, going .370/.471/.650 (37-for-100) at the plate during that span…he ranks among qualified major leaguers in OBP (1st), OPS (1st, 1.121), batting average (1st) and SLG (2nd) during that stretch (since 4/15).

LOWES HOME IMPROVEMENT — Josh Lowe has reached base safely in 13 straight Interleague games dating back to 7/8/22, batting .294 (15-for-51) with three doubles, 5 HR and 8 RBI during that stretch.

From innings 1-5 this year, Lowe is batting .236 (17-for-72) with one home run and 11 RBI…from the sixth inning on, he is batting .393 (22-for-56) with 9 HR and 19 RBI.

He joins ATL Ronald Acuña Jr. as the only players in the majors this season to have 10+ HR and 7+ steals…he joins BAL Cedric Mullins and TEX Marcus Semien as the only players with 30+ RBI and 7+ steals.

FLIPPING THE SWITCH — Following a 2-for-28 (.071) skid from 4/14-23, Isaac Paredes is slashing .343/.412/.560 (25-for-75) with eight doubles, 3 HR and 19 RBI over his last 23 games.

Paredes has a pair of 5+ RBI games this season (4/27 at CWS & 5/16 at NYM), joining BAL Ryan Mountcastle and TEX Adolis García (2G each) as only major leaguers with multiple such games in 2023.

His 5-RBI game on 5/16 at New York-NL marked the fourth individual instance of a Rays hitter recording 5+ RBI this season, tied with Texas for most in MLB… in 2022, the Rays saw just one such performance (Randy Arozarena, 6RBI on 9/23/22 vs. TOR).

THE BAY BOMBERS — The Rays have hit a major league-best 90 home runs, tied for the third-most long balls through a club’s first 47 games in MLB history (since 1901), trailing only the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals and 1999 Seattle Mariners (97HR each).

The Rays have 11 players with 5+ home runs this season, most in the majors, ahead of San Francisco (8 players)…per Elias, Tampa Bay is the first team in MLB history to have 10 or more players with 5+ home runs before reaching the 50-game mark in a season.

The Rays have an MLB-best 26 multi-HR games, ahead of New York-AL (23G)…this includes 15 games with 3+ homers, most in the majors ahead of Los Angeles-NL (13G).

Tampa Bay’s 27 go-ahead home runs lead the AL and are tied for the MLB lead with Los Angeles-NL…63 of the Rays 90 total homers (70.0%) have been solo shots.

INTERLEAGUE RUNDOWN — The Rays 11-3 (.785) mark against NL clubs signals the best Interleague winning percentage in MLB, ahead of New-York-AL (6-2, .750) and Detroit (11-4, .786)…following a seven-game losing streak from 6/28-8/10, 2022, Tampa Bay has won 13 of its last 16 Interleague matchups dating back to 8/30/22.

Rays pitching has recorded a 2.75 ERA (124.1IP, 38ER) against the NL, the third-lowest Interleague ERA in the majors…this includes a 1.85 ERA (68.0IP, 14ER) by Tampa Bay starters.

Rays hitters are slashing .274/.342/.518 with 30 homers against the NL…they pace the majors in Interleague SLG (.518) and OPS (.860).

LEADING THE PACK — The Rays pace the majors in runs scored (286) while surrendering the fewest runs (160)…Tampa Bay’s +126 run differential is tied for the sixth-best mark through the first 47 games of a season in MLB history (since 1901), including the best since the 2016 Chicago Cubs (+126).

BATTER UP — Rays hitters lead MLB in batting average (.273), OBP (.347), SLG (.503), OPS (.850), homers (90), extra-base hits (183), total bases (804) and at-bats per HR (17.77).

CURDS AND BREWS — Tampa Bay and Milwaukee meet this afternoon for the final contest of a three-game set…Tampa Bay evened the all-time series at 9-9 with yesterday’s victory, including a 5-5 mark at Tropicana Field.

With a win today, the Rays will earn their first sweep of the Brewers in the all-time series…Milwaukee swept the season series in 2022, winning two games at Tropicana Field from 6/28-29 and two at American Family Field from 8/9-10.

TODAY’S STARTER: LHP JALEN BEEKS (1-2, 4.70)
BEEKS ON THE BUMP — Left-hander Jalen Beeks makes his fifth start of the season in today’s series finale, his second at Tropicana Field…marks his 18th appearance overall (10th at home)…has posted a 1.00 ERA (9.0IP, 1ER) while holding opponents to a .129 average (4-for-31) in his four starts this season…has not allowed a run in his last five appearances spanning 7.1 IP, striking out nine without issuing a walk in that stretch.

LET’S GET IT STARTED — Beeks has made 15 career starts, pitching to a 6.16 ERA (38.0IP, 26ER)…after posting an 11.57 ERA (16.1IP, 21ER) in his first four career starts, he has turned in a 2.08 ERA (21.2IP, 5ER) over his previous 11, including a 1.00 ERA (9.0IP, 1ER) in four starts this season.

Beeks’ longest career start came on 8/14/19 at San Diego (5.0IP)… his shortest was 1.0 IP on 8/3/22 vs. Toronto.

BEEKS AND THE BREW CREW — Beeks has made a pair of appearances against Milwaukee, both of which came last season (6/29/22 & 8/9/22)… recorded a 3.00 ERA (3.0IP, 1ER) while fanning six Brewers in those games… he started opposite Milwaukee on 6/29/22 at Tropicana Field, allowing one run on three hits over 2.0 innings of work.

In seven previous games against NL Central clubs, Beeks is 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA (12.1IP, 5ER), holding opposing hitters to a .178 average (8-for-45)…this includes a 2.25 ERA (4.0IP, 1ER) and a .077 average (1-for-13) over two appearances in 2023.

FLIP THE SCRIPT — After going 0-2 with a 7.43 ERA (13.1IP, 11ER), eight walks and eight strikeouts over 10 games during April, Beeks has pitched to a 1-0 mark with a 0.93 ERA (9.2IP, 1ER), two walks and 11 strikeouts over seven outings in May…during May, Beeks is holding opponents to a .171/.216/.200 (6-for-35) line… this comes after he allowed season highs in both hits (4) and runs (5) on 4/30 at Chicago-AL.

His 0.93 ERA signals the AL’s sixth-lowest ERA during the month of May among pitchers with at least 9.0 IP…his 0.83 WHIP is 10th under the same parameters.

THIS AND THAT — Beeks is holding opponents to a 2-for-18 clip (.111) with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-7 in May…this includes 0-for2 with the bases loaded…excluding his outing on 4/30 at Chicago-AL, opponents are 0-for-16 against him with RISP.

Opponents are batting .244 (11-for-45) against him with no runners on base compared to .154 (6-for-39) with runners on the basepaths.

After posting a career-worst 8.3 pct. barrel rate in 2022, Beeks’ 3.0 pct. barrel rate this season is the second-lowest mark of his career,
trailing only his 2020 campaign (2.0%).

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