Right-hander Brandon Sproat will be seeking his first major league victory when the Milwaukee Brewers host the San Diego Padres on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series.
Sproat (0-2, 5.87 ERA) is scheduled to oppose right-handed knuckleballer Matt Waldron (1-1, 7.71 ERA), although Waldron followed an opener his last time out.
Both Milwaukee and San Diego were idle Monday, but each posted dramatic victories Sunday.
San Diego rallied for a 3-2 victory over St. Louis on Nick Castellanos’ game-tying two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly in the 10th.
Milwaukee defeated the Yankees 4-3 on Brice Turang’s walk-off homer with two outs in the ninth to complete the series sweep and move a season-high-tying six games over .500.
“We didn’t swing the bat great, but we just chip away,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said following Sunday’s win. “There’s high standards and those guys love the opportunity to compete.”
Sproat, making his sixth start and eighth appearance this season, was 0-2 in four September starts last season with the Mets.
Sproat allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings in his last start, but did not get a decision in a 6-2 win at St. Louis. He struck out five, but walked three in a 76-pitch outing.
“(Sproat) made some big pitches in some big times and had way too many three-ball counts. … I think he’s learning stuff,” Murphy said afterward. “He’s learning, ‘I can do it. I’m good enough. I don’t have to be sharp.”
Free passes have been an issue with Sproat, who has walked 18 in 30 2/3 innings.
One of the Brewers’ most versatile weapons has been reliever Aaron Ashby, who struck out three in a scoreless inning Sunday. He picked up his major-league-leading seventh victory Saturday, despite allowing an unearned run in the 10th inning as the Brewers rallied in the bottom half to win 4-3.
Ashby has an 0.64 ERA over his last 11 appearances, allowing one earned run in 14 innings with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks.
San Diego salvaged a split against the Cardinals despite managing just 14 hits in the four-game series, the fewest hits by the Padres in any four-game series in franchise history.
“We’re not hitting,” Machado said following Sunday’s win. “It’s obvious. But we’re getting things done. … At the end of the day, it’s about winning ballgames, and we’re doing that.”
Waldron picked up the win in relief in his last appearance following a first-inning opener. He allowed one run on two hits over five innings with seven strikeouts in a 5-1 victory over the Giants.
“I think the preparation was a little bit different,” Waldron said afterward. “But the second you’re out there, the goal is the same — go as deep as you can.”
Waldron allowed 15 runs in 13 2/3 innings in three starts in April, including six runs in each of his first two starts.
–Field Level Media
