Brewers manager Pat Murphy on Logan Henderson’s adjustments to majors
Logan Henderson’s first two starts with the Brewers were excellent, as he allowed three runs over 11 innings with 16 strikeouts.
PITTSBURGH – It’s going to be a prime pitching matchup at PNC Park on Friday night, May 23, when right-hander Freddy Peralta (5-2, 2.59) takes the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers while right-hander Paul Skenes (3-5, 2.44) counters for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Brewers will be shooting for their second straight win, with Christian Yelich seeking to carry over his two-homer performance from Milwaukee’s 8-5 victory on May 22.
The Brewers also made a couple roster moves before the game, reinstating left-hander Aaron Ashby from the injured list and optioning right-hander Carlos Rodriguez to Class AAA Nashville.
Jared Koenig gives the lead back
Jared Koenig took over in the seventh and two batters in allowed a double to Andrew McCutchen followed by a single by Bryan Reynolds, who entered the series ice-cold but, as usual, has heated up against the Brewers.
Koenig retired the next two batters, keeping it a 3-3 game.
Milwaukee had a shot to take the lead when it loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, only to have Brice Turang fly out.
Immediate headway after Skenes departs
Tanner Rainey took over for Skenes to start the seventh and shortly thereafter the Brewers went to work on him.
After Caleb Durbin struck out, Jake Bauers walked and Andruw Monasterio singled to left for his first hit of the season. Turang followed with another single tying it, and chasing Rainey.
Jackson Chourio greeted Dennis Santana with a single to left to give Milwaukee its first lead at 3-2, but William Contreras and Christian Yelich both struck out with opportunities to build a bigger cushion.
Brewers finally break through
Jackson Chourio drew a one-out walk, then with two outs Yelich singled. Rhys Hoskins followed by dunking a single into center just in front of a diving Oneil Cruz, scoring Chourio and sending Yelich to third.
Cruz’s throw to third then scooted past Ke’Bryan Hayes and rolled all the way to the backstop but Yelich played the miscue conservatively and stayed put at third. Sal Frelick grounded out, and Milwaukee had to settle for a 2-1 game.
One other positive was chasing Skenes, who struck out eight in his 101-pitch outing.
Shortest outing of the season for Peralta
The Pirates got a leadoff single from Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the fifth, then No. 9 hitter Henry Davis reached on a catcher’s interference.
Peralta recovered a bit with a strikeout but then walked McCutchen and Reynolds in succession – including McCutchen on four straight pitches – to force in a run and end his outing after a season-low 4 ⅓ innings and 101 pitches, three off tying his season high.
Grant Anderson took over and struck out both batters he faced.
Peralta has had to work
The knock on Peralta throughout his career is that he is rarely as efficient as he needs to be.
That was again the case against the Pirates, with an 11-pitch at-bat by Davis in the second inning driving up his pitch count by a great deal.
Peralta kept Pittsburgh off the board until the third, when Cruz – who’d just missed homering in the first – hit a leadoff shot out to right-center for the game’s first run.
Through four innings, he’d thrown 76 pitches.
Skenes has been as advertised
Brewers manager Pat Murphy was asked before the game if he thought his players would be more amped up to face the all-world Skenes.
“I think they’re well aware of how good his stuff is and how good a pitcher he’s been, and I think they look at it as a great challenge,” Murphy said. “And I think anybody in their right mind, when you get a chance to play against one of the best, compete against one of the best, you look forward to that challenge.
“That’s how the guys got here – because they like these type of challenges.”
Milwaukee did a good job of making Skenes work in the first inning, getting singles from Chourio and Yelich, but from there it was a whole lot of nothing until Rhys Hoskins drew a two-out walk in the fourth.
Skenes, who struck out 11 in seven shutout innings in his only other start against the Brewers last July at American Family Field, fanned seven through four in this one.
What time is the Brewers game tonight?
Time:Â 5:40 p.m.
What channel is the Brewers game on tonight?
TV channel:Â FanDuel Sports Wisconsin
Brewers lineupBrice Turang 2BJackson Chourio CFWilliam Contreras CChristian Yelich DHRhys Hoskins 1BSal Frelick RFCaleb Durbin 3BJake Bauers LFAndruw Monasterio SSPirates lineupOneil Cruz CFAndrew McCutchen DHBryan Reynolds RFSpencer Horwitz 1BAlexander Canario LFKe’Bryan Hayes 3BAdam Frazier 2BIsiah Kiner-Falefa SSHenry Davis CBrewers schedule
Brewers at Pirates, 3:05 p.m. May 24. Milwaukee RHP Quinn Priester (1-2, 4.66) vs. Pittsburgh RHP Mitch Keller (1-6, 3.88). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers at Pirates, 12:35 p.m. May 25. Milwaukee RHP Logan Henderson (3-0, 1.69) vs. Pittsburgh LHP Bailey Falter (3-3, 3.50). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.