The Milwaukee Brewers will continue their westward journey on Monday night when they travel to San Francisco to open a three-game series against the Giants.
Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat (3-5, 5.09 ERA) will face Giants righty Tyler Mahle (2-9, 5.31) in the second meeting of the season between these clubs, with Milwaukee and San Francisco having split their previous four-game series in Milwaukee last month.
Neither Sproat nor Mahle participated in that earlier series.
The Brewers departed Sunday evening after completing a successful 7-2 homestand that included an 11-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Following their San Francisco games, they will head to Anaheim for a weekend series against the Angels before returning home for a week.
The upcoming stretch features an emphasis on West Coast opponents, with the Brewers set to face either National League West or American League West teams in 19 of their next 26 games.
After the Angels series concludes, Milwaukee will visit the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers on another western swing. The extended run ends with a three-game homestand against the Seattle Mariners from August 18-20.
The Brewers most recently struggled on the road, being swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 11 and 12.
Sproat started the first game of that July 11 doubleheader, where manager Pat Murphy criticized his performance for allowing 28 foul balls, particularly on two-strike counts.
“He’s not (committed) in his put-away pitch,” Murphy noted to the media after the 7-6 first game loss. “You’ve got to be able to put people away. Not just strike people out — put them away. He’s got that really good sinker. He’s got a good sweeper. He’s got a very capable cutter. Just didn’t get it done.”
The 25-year-old right-hander has made only one start since, requiring 99 pitches to record just 14 outs in a 4-0 home loss to the New York Mets last Tuesday.
Sproat has never faced the Giants.
The Brewers have had considerable success against Mahle historically, posting a 1-3 record and 5.36 ERA across nine lifetime starts.
Recently, Mahle has shown improved performance relative to his record, limiting the Rockies and Royals to four runs over 12 combined innings in his last two outings.
The Giants are aiming to extend their current successful run, having taken two of three games from the Angels despite a 4-3 loss on Sunday.
Monday’s game marks San Francisco’s final home contest before the August 3 trade deadline, making each player’s performance potentially significant for their future with the franchise.
Third baseman Rafael Devers, frequently mentioned in trade speculation, helped the Giants’ offense by homering in each of their home victories over the Angels.
Devers addressed the trade rumors, stating: “We’re aware that our record is not very positive as far as adjustments that maybe the front office is going to make. It’s something that I don’t think about. It’s something that they’re going to have to (think about), but we’re just concentrating on what we can control.”
–Field Level Media
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