The surging Milwaukee Brewers will look to remain perfect in the second half on Tuesday when they send right-hander Brandon Sproat against the visiting New York Mets.
Sproat (3-4, 5.16 ERA), who was acquired from the Mets in the offseason trade involving fellow pitcher Freddy Peralta, will be opposed by rookie left-hander Zac Thornton (0-1, 2.60).
The Brewers rocked Peralta for seven runs in 5 1/3 innings Monday in an 8-3 win in the series opener. Andrew Vaughn belted a two-run homer and rookie Cooper Pratt launched a solo shot for his first career homer off Peralta, who pitched the previous eight seasons in Milwaukee.
Joey Ortiz added a three-run homer off Xzavion Curry.
Hard-throwing ace Brewers Jacob Misiorowski, who skipped his last start before the All-Star break due to arm fatigue, allowed one unearned run in four innings in a planned shortened start.
National League Central-leading Milwaukee, which resides seven games ahead of the second-place Chicago Cubs, has won four in a row since the break to improve to a season-high 26 games above .500. The Brewers are a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the majors.
Pratt, who moved into the starting shortstop role after being called up from Triple-A Nashville in mid-June, is batting .357 (15-for-42) over his last 13 games with two doubles, a triple, a homer and six RBIs.
“Cooper’s very capable,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after Pratt had three hits in Monday’s win. “He’s got a lot to learn, the game. Nights like tonight, very encouraging.”
Ortiz, who struggled early, is batting .326 (15-for-46) with three doubles, three homers and seven RBIs over his last 14 games.
Garrett Mitchell also remained red-hot with an RBI single and a double. He is hitting .397 (25-for-63) with eight doubles, two homers, a triple and 10 RBIs in 17 games in July.
Sproat, who will be facing his former team for the first time, is 2-0 with a 3.55 ERA over his last seven starts, allowing 13 runs in 33 innings. Sproat lasted just three innings in his last start, yielding three runs (two earned) but did not get a decision in a 7-6 loss at Pittsburgh.
Thornton, who has split time between Triple-A and New York, will be making his fourth start for the Mets this season. He has allowed five runs in 17 1/3 innings, but just one homer.
In his last start on July 12, he allowed just two hits over seven scoreless innings but did not get the decision in his team’s 10-inning loss to the Boston Red Sox.
“We’ve been needing that from someone,” interim manager Andy Green said about Thornton. “You can see he’s unafraid, and you can see he’s on the attack. So as painful as this moment is, those are good signs for our future to see a young guy step on the mound and pitch like that.”
Bo Bichette was 2-for-3 in the series opener. He is hitting .325 with five homers, nine doubles, a triple and 23 RBIs over his last 39 games.
–Field Level Media
