Mike Fiers (2-6, 4.06 ERA) and the Milwaukee Brewers (23-38) go up against Jordan Zimmermann (5-3, 3.18 ERA) and the Washington Nationals (31-29) in the second of a four-game series at Miller Park. The Brewers won the last game 6-5 and Milwaukee leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 8:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Jun. 12 and will air on MASN2 and FSN-WI.
In his most recent outing, Fiers pitched 4.1 innings, giving up two runs, striking out three and walking three in a 2-0 loss to the Twins. Ryan Braun (.267, 33 Rs, 13 HRs, 41 RBIs, 6 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 3 with one run and one RBI. In his pitching opportunities against the Brewers, Zimmermann is 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA. He meets a less-than-stellar Milwaukee offense that’s batting just .231. Denard Span (.308, 25 Rs, 5 HRs, 20 RBIs, 4 SBs) has been doing well, going 3 for 5 yesterday with two runs and one RBI.
Milwaukee is a small -101 underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is eight runs. The Brewers are 17-23 as the underdog and have an overall money line of -1,459. The most recent 10 game stretch for Milwaukee’s pitching staff has gone great. Over that span, Milwaukee’s opponents are averaging 2.6 runs per game, below their season average of 4.6. An area where the Brewers are particularly strong is striking batters out, where they average 8.2 K’s per game.
Across the field, the Nationals have a record of 26-20 when they are favored and are -369 overall with the money line. They have played poorly when rated as favorite as of late. They managed a 2-6 record when playing as the favorite and an SU record of 3-7. They sport the fifth-ranked offense in the NL, averaging 4.3 runs per game. The Nationals average 3.1 walks per game, making them one of the most disciplined teams in the NL. Switching gears to Washington’s pitching staff, they allow just 2.5 walks per game, good for second in the NL. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in the NL with an average of 7.9 strikeouts per road game.
The only other game between the two teams went Milwaukee’s way. This game will feature Zimmermann (RHP) on the mound against the Brewers, who have a 7-16 home and 16-31 overall record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Nationals will be the right-hander Fiers. They sport a 22-24 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – WSH, O/U – Over
Notes
For the 13th time this season, the Brewers registered at least two errors in a game.
When the Nationals play into extra innings, they have a 4-1 record. The Brewers are 2-2 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Nationals are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Brewers have a 15-24 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Brewers are 16-4. The Nationals have a 22-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 26th, Milwaukee is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 224 this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 257.
Ranking 25th, Milwaukee is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 141 this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 188.
The Brewers are 20-14 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Nationals are 23-13 when they hit at least one homer.
