The Milwaukee Brewers will look to bounce back following a rare lopsided loss when they host the San Francisco Giants in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon.
Logan Webb pitched six strong innings — giving up one run and five hits — and Casey Schmitt homered and drove in four runs to help the Giants roll to a 7-1 victory on Saturday.
The MLB-leading Brewers had their seven-game home winning streak snapped after going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They won the series opener 5-4 on Friday.
“It just didn’t line up and we didn’t do enough,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said. “Webb is one of the best pitchers in the game, and he pitched great when he had to. We had him on the ropes a few times but didn’t get the big hit. The defense hurt us a little tonight, and that was a little bit of the story. But credit the Giants.”
Murphy rested first baseman Andrew Vaughn in the loss and also was without a pair of injured infielders in second baseman Brice Turang (left wrist soreness) and shortstop Joey Ortiz (left hamstring strain).
Turang is listed as day-to-day, while Ortiz was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday.
The Brewers’ bullpen faltered after Freddy Peralta tossed five scoreless innings on Saturday. San Francisco scored three unearned runs against Grant Anderson in the sixth before tacking on four runs in the seventh against Carlos Rodriguez.
Murphy pushed back after the game when questioned about keeping key players on the sidelines in the defeat.
“I mean, we were trying to win,” Murphy said. “But you have to be health-conscious and you have to use the whole roster. If they’re on the roster, they’re going to have to help us. You get put in a situation sometimes and you can’t put your top relievers in a losing game.”
San Francisco ended a four-game losing streak on Saturday and also welcomed back third baseman Matt Chapman, who had been out 10 days with right hand inflammation.
“I feel good about coming back. I’m excited to be back out there with the guys,” Chapman said. “Obviously it (stinks) missing (nine) games in a very important part of the season. I feel guilty when I don’t play and I feel like I let the team down when I’m not playing.
“Not that that means I’m going to come back and magically things will turn around, but I’m glad to be out there and help the guys and be part of it for this last push and just be here for the rest of the season and finish this thing off strong and see what happens.”
The Giants have lost 11 of their past 14 games, falling 7 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the race for the National League’s final wild-card spot.
San Francisco will send left-hander Robbie Ray (10-6, 2.85 ERA) to the mound in the series finale. He allowed three unearned runs over 6 2/3 innings in a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres last Monday. The 33-year-old owns a 2.45 ERA with a 24-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last four starts covering 25 2/3 innings.
Christian Yelich is 2-for-13 with two singles against Ray, who is 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA in five career starts vs. Milwaukee. Ray gave up two runs over five innings in a no-decision against the Brewers on April 21. The Giants won 5-2.
Milwaukee had not announced a starter as of Sunday morning.
–Field Level Media
