After pulling off two late rallies, the visiting Milwaukee Brewers will attempt to widen their lead in the National League Central and finish a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon.
Milwaukee outscored New York 17-4 in the first two games of the series and produced 27 hits. In the seventh inning or beyond, the Brewers have scored 13 runs on 17 hits.
The Brewers followed an 8-2 win Friday with a 9-2 victory Saturday. Tyrone Taylor hit a go-ahead homer off Jonathan Loaisiga to start a three-run eighth inning in the latter game, and William Contreras hit a two-run single in the ninth after getting a go-ahead single on Friday.
Taylor homered after being inserted into Milwaukee’s lineup for Christian Yelich, who was held out with back soreness that manger Craig Counsell said he did not think was serious.
The Brewers (79-62) are 5-5 since their nine-game winning streak Aug. 18-28 and lead the Chicago Cubs by four games in the Central. They have scored at least six runs 13 times in the 19 games since being swept in a three-game series by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 15-17.
“It’s been so much fun,” Milwaukee shortstop Willy Adames said. “When you’re scoring a lot of runs, it’s great for us and for the pitchers, too, so they can rest. We’ve used them a lot this whole year. I feel like it’s really important for the whole team for the hitters to get that confidence going for this last month of the season. That’s when you need it the most.”
Trying to avoid its first losing season since 1992, New York (70-72) has been outscored 27-7 in a three-game losing streak. The Yankees had won five straight and eight of nine after falling six games under .500.
The Yankees were held to four hits Saturday after getting three in the series opener.
“It’s tough,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said. “We kind of got on a little roll there and obviously a little skid here, but that’s baseball.”
Right-hander Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.90 ERA) will start for the Yankees as he attempts to win four straight starts for the second time this year. Since allowing six runs in an 8-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox, Cole is 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA.
Cole has given up two runs or less in 22 of his 29 starts and allowed one run on eight hits in six innings of a 5-1 win over the Detroit Tigers Tuesday night.
Cole is 4-4 with a 3.62 ERA in 14 career starts against the Brewers. He most recently faced them last Sept. 18 when he allowed four runs on four hits in five innings during New York’s 12-8 win.
Corbin Burnes (9-8, 3.63) will attempt to halt an eight-game winless skid as he makes his first career appearance against the Yankees. Since pitching eight innings of two-hit ball in a win at Philadelphia on July 20, the right-hander is 0-3 with 3.99 ERA.
Burnes is attempting to avoid dropping three straight starts. He was on the losing end of a 1-0 game against the Cubs on Aug. 29 and allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings of Monday’s 4-2 loss at Pittsburgh.
–Field Level Media
