A pair of NL Central opponents finish off their weekend series on the diamond in the Buckeye State looking to pick up a victory. The Milwaukee Brewers are on the road as they close out a four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds Sunday afternoon. Milwaukee took the first two games of the series as they prevailed 5-1 in the series opener Thursday night and then followed that up with a 5-3 triumph on Friday night to ensure no worse than a split. Will the Brewers earn the win on getaway day to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive or will the Reds throw another wrench in their plans by prevailing here?
Milwaukee won their third straight game as they took care of business against the Reds for the second straight night Friday. The Brewers entered Saturday second in the NL Central, 7.5 games behind the Cardinals for the division lead. They were two games behind the Padres for the final wild card spot in the National League playoff picture. On Friday night, Milwaukee got two hits each from Kolten Wong (run) and Garrett Mitchell in the contest while Andrew McCutchen drove in three runs to go over 1,000 RBI in his career. Eric Lauer didn’t factor in the decision as he threw 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Luis Perdomo (3-0) with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit with no walks and four strikeouts. Devin Williams worked the final 1.1 innings, allowing no runs on no hits with no walks and three strikeouts, for his 14th save.
Freddy Peralta is expected to take the mound for the Brewers to make his 16th start of the season in this contest. He comes in 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA, a 1.024 WHIP, 25 walks and 76 strikeouts over 70.1 innings of work on the year. Peralta didn’t factor in the decision in his last start, which came on September 8 at home in the second game of a doubleheader against the Giants. He threw two innings, allowing no runs on no hits with two walks and three strikeouts in a game the Brewers went on to win 4-2. In his last three starts, Peralta has no record with a 0.69 ERA, a 0.38 WHIP, three walks and 11 strikeouts over 13 innings of work. Peralta makes his 17th career appearance and 11th start against the Reds in this contest. He comes in 4-2 with one save, a 3.52 ERA, a 0.984 WHIP, 20 walks and 80 strikeouts over 64 innings of work against them. Peralta is 2-1 with a 3.55 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, 11 walks and 43 strikeouts over 33 innings in seven career a ppearances, six starts, at the Great American Ball Park.