The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off the excessive second of their season. On Wednesday, they walked off the Philadelphia Phillies on the identical day that they formally gained the Nationwide League Central. If they arrive out a little bit flat on Thursday, we might have an thought of why.
The Diamondbacks, although, must maintain their foot on the gasoline. They’re presently the second Wild Card within the Nationwide League, however they’re solely two video games forward of the fourth-place—and presently exterior the postseason—Atlanta Braves. The Brewers, too, might nonetheless enhance their place: with 10 video games left within the season, they sit two behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second-best report within the Nationwide League (although it’s successfully three video games, as L.A. holds the tiebreaker).
These two groups, after all, confronted off in a three-game collection at Chase Subject simply final weekend, as all seven of their video games this season are crammed right into a 10-day stretch. The Brewers gained the primary two video games of that collection and almost the third, however that was the type of weird “Devin Williams warmed up however didn’t pitch” sport, which Milwaukee misplaced 11-10 in 10 innings. Since then, the Diamondbacks dropped two of three in opposition to Colorado, who appear to be enjoying Nationwide League contenders robust within the final month of the season.
It’ll be a four-game set this time between two groups that battled within the Wild Card spherical of final yr’s playoffs and probably might once more in simply a few weeks.
Possible Pitchers
Thursday, September 19 @ 6:15 p.m: Tobias Myers (3.07 ERA, 4.11 FIP) vs. Brandon Pfaadt (4.81 ERA, 3.66 FIP)
Myers has slowed a little bit down the stretch, however he’s nonetheless had an exquisite season. He picked up his eighth win of the season on Saturday within the Brewers’ 15-8 dismantling of Arizona, a sport during which he allowed 4 runs in six innings.
He’ll face Brandon Pfaadt for the second time in per week; Pfaadt, nonetheless, had what was most likely his worst begin in a irritating season, as he gave up eight earned runs with out getting out of the second inning. Pfaadt’s ERA doesn’t look significantly good this season however he has a stable 3.66 FIP and his peripherals look good, suggesting he’s had some unhealthy luck. In any case, the Brewers certain noticed his stuff effectively on Saturday, and we’ll see if that continues on Thursday.
Friday, September 20 @ 7:10 p.m: TBD vs. Zac Gallen (3.61 ERA, 3.28 FIP)
That is the spot that DL Corridor began in on Sunday for the Brewers, and ostensibly Colin Rea’s spot within the rotation if the remainder of the probables are right. Rea pitched 2 2⁄3 innings on Monday, so he’d be on quick relaxation, technically, if he made this begin. My guess is we see Corridor once more, however it could possibly be a piggyback state of affairs.
Gallen has completed within the prime 5 in Cy Younger voting in every of the final two seasons. He’s not going to do this this yr, however he’s been stable; his walks are up a little bit bit, however he’s placing out principally the very same variety of batters because the final two seasons and his FIP has remained remarkably constant (3.28 this season versus 3.26 in final season’s third-place CYA end). He began that wild sport on Sunday and allowed three runs on six hits in 5 innings, however he’d allowed zero runs in three of 4 begins previous to that one.
Saturday, September 21 @ 6:10 p.m: Aaron Civale (4.48 ERA, 4.17 FIP) vs. Merrill Kelly (4.00 ERA, 4.79 FIP)
Civale has a 3.68 ERA since becoming a member of Milwaukee after a mid-season commerce, and has trended up these days: he’s obtained a 2.56 ERA (although a 3.95 FIP) over his final seven begins. In his final outing on Monday, he threw 5 innings of one-run ball in a 6-2 victory over Philadelphia.
Kelly missed a lot of the season and didn’t pitch between April 15 and August 11. Kelly has been a stable pitcher for the final couple years and was an enormous performer for Arizona in final yr’s postseason; he obtained off to an excellent begin this season and had a 2.19 ERA on the time of his harm, however he went by means of some struggles upon his return in August. He’s seemed higher in September, and has a 3.18 in three begins this month.
Sunday, September 22 @ 1:10 p.m: Frankie Montas (4.50 ERA, 3.92 FIP) vs. Jordan Montgomery (6.23 ERA, 4.59 FIP)
Montas has been fairly good these days, although he’s had just a few begins the place he has seemed wonderful after which given up just a few runs late. His stuff seemed nice in opposition to the Phillies on Tuesday, as he struck out 10, however the Phillies obtained him for 3 runs and hung a loss on him. Normally, Montas has been excellent since becoming a member of the Brewers and has maybe positioned himself because the probably third starter on the postseason depth chart.
It has been a tough yr for Montgomery, who went by means of a fraught free company course of earlier than becoming a member of the Diamondbacks for a lot much less cash than he was definitely hoping to get. With a late begin to the ramp-up course of, Montgomery got here out of the gate slowly and by no means actually discovered his footing. Arizona has been sometimes utilizing him out of the bullpen these days, although he was again within the beginning rotation for his final outing on September 17, when he allowed three runs to the Rockies in 4 2⁄3 innings.
Prediction
I do anticipate that the Brewers will most likely have a little bit little bit of a post-clinch hangover on Thursday, whether or not that’s literal or not, and given how unlikely the Brewers are to chase down the Dodgers or Phillies within the final 10 video games, the Diamondbacks are most likely extra motivated. However they’ve additionally struggled the final week and the Brewers had their quantity final weekend, so I’ll predict a cut up.
