Brewers Back On Track
Returning to the road helped the Milwaukee Brewers put a disappointing stretch behind them and get back in the win column. Prized acquisition CC Sabathia hopes it can do the same for him.
Sabathia tries to rebound from a mediocre performance and help the Brewers match a franchise-record nine-game road winning streak as they continue their three-game series against the banged-up Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made Milwaukee -170 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for today’s game, the over/under has been set at 8.5 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 92% of bets for this game have been placed on Milwaukee -170 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Milwaukee (61-49) pulled into a first-place tie with the Chicago Cubs atop the NL Central with a 6-4 win over Houston last Saturday, but they didn’t stay there for long. The Brewers were outscored 42-17 during a five-game losing streak – including four straight to the Cubs at Miller Park – as they dropped five games off the division pace.
Milwaukee got back on track in the opener of a six-game road trip with a 9-0 win over the Braves Friday to move one percentage point ahead of St. Louis for second place, four games behind Chicago.
"We had a rough series,” said Prince Fielder, who homered in his third straight game Friday, "so it was good to get this one.”
Fielder, who has 23 home runs on the season, homered in a career-best four straight games May 28-31, 2007.
The Brewers have won eight straight road games since the All-Star break, outscoring their opponents 50-19. Milwaukee, which dropped nine straight road games from May 2-18, has not won nine straight road games in a single season since June 8-17, 1973, when the team played in the AL.
CC Sabathia (4-0, 1.82 ERA) was instrumental to Milwaukee’s rise to the top of the division, but he is coming off a subpar outing.
After posting a 1.36 ERA and throwing three complete games in winning his first four starts for the Brewers, Sabathia gave up four runs, nine hits and needed a season-high 124 pitches in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-4 loss to the Cubs on Monday, but did not factor in the decision. The reigning AL Cy Young winner struck out three batters Monday, his fewest since striking out one on April 16 against Detroit.
"I wasn’t as pinpoint as I had been in my earlier starts,” the left-hander said.
Sabathia has been nearly untouchable in his two road starts for the Brewers, though, allowing one run and seven hits with 17 strikeouts in 18 innings in winning both games.
In his only career start against the Braves (50-59) on June 15, 2007, Sabathia allowed five runs and 12 hits with seven strikeouts in 8 1-3 innings of a 5-4 loss.
Atlanta managed five hits in Friday’s opener as it was shut out for the second time in 10 games and the 11th time on the season.
The Braves, who placed All-Star third baseman Chipper Jones and staff ace Tim Hudson on the disabled list Monday, have lost six of seven.
"Injuries are just killing them,” Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "A great team has been decimated.”
RookieCharlie Morton (2-4, 7.26) tries to put another disappointing start behind him when he takes the ball. He was sent to Triple-A Richmond last Saturday, but recalled two days later to take the place of Hudson.
On Monday, Morton was tagged for a career-high eight runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings of a 12-3 loss to St. Louis. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 9.53 ERA in his last five starts.
"I know that every great pitcher has bad outings like this early in their careers, but it doesn’t make it any better,” Morton said.
Morton made his third career start against the Brewers on June 24, allowing four runs – two earned – and seven hits in six innings of a 4-3 loss, the first of his career.
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