Brewers Going for Sweep
Jeff Suppan certainly is used to winning. Jason Schmidt, meanwhile, probably is expecting to experience it more.
Suppan looks to remain undefeated at Miller Park as the Milwaukee Brewers try to sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time in their history when the teams conclude their three-game series Wednesday night.
The Brewers continued their winning ways with a 4-3 win over Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Oddsmakers have made Los Angeles -1.5 point spread favorites (MLB Odds) for todays game, the over/under has been set at 7.5ov total runs (View MLB Sports Books). Our public betting information shows that 60% of bets for this game have been placed on Los
Angeles -1.5 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Kevin Mench’s two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning put Milwaukee ahead for good, and five relievers combined to limit the Dodgers to two hits and two walks over the final four innings.
"The guys keep doing the little things so well," said Brewers pitcher Chris Capuano, who gave up three runs and five hits but struck out six in five innings. "I feel like I didn’t pull my weight as well as I could have, but they’re playing so well we were able to win the game."
Suppan, the NL championship series MVP with eventual world champion St. Louis last season, signed a four-year, $42 million contract with the Brewers in the offseason. The right-hander went 12-7 with a 4.12 ERA with the Cardinals last year, and is 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA in seven starts in Miller Park.
Suppan went 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers last season, and is 3-3 with a 3.98 ERA in seven career starts against them.
Los Angeles will counter with Schmidt, who signed for $47 million over three years after five-plus seasons with San Francisco.
The right-hander went from the Giants – a team that finished 11 1/2 games out of first in the NL West last season – to the Dodgers, who settled for the wild card. Los Angeles, which added also added Juan Pierre and Luis Gonzalez to its lineup, has scored only four runs so far.
"There’s no panic," Gonzalez said. "We have a long way to go. Talk to us in July and August, the pennant race, and see where we’re at."
Schmidt, a three-time All-Star, went 11-9 with a 3.59 ERA in 32 starts during 2006. He was 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in two starts against the Brewers last season, and is 7-6 with a 3.24 ERA in 13 career outings against them.
Schmidt also is 5-3 with a 2.01 ERA in eight starts in Milwaukee.
Mench, who came to the Brewers in a trade with Texas last July and is expected to platoon with Geoff Jenkins in left field. His homer came after Russell Martin’s solo shot off Capuano gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead in the fifth.
Martin, who became Los Angeles’ starting catcher last May after an injury to Dioner Navarro – now with Tampa Bay – hit .282 with 10 home runs and 82 RBIs as a rookie.
Milwaukee has a chance to sweep its opening series for the third straight season, after taking a two-game set at Pittsburgh in 2005 and winning three games at home against the Pirates last season.
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