Brewers at Braves
Freddie Freeman felt so sick a week ago, he missed one game and exited another early, but the Atlanta Braves first baseman is back to feeling 100 percent heading into Sunday’s home series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. Freeman has hit safely in four straight contests after going 2-for-5 with a leadoff home run in the 10th inning on Saturday that gave the Braves a 4-3 triumph and extended their winning streak to four games.
Freeman is batting .419 with three homers, seven RBIs and seven runs over his last nine games – a stretch during which he hit safely in all but one contest. Atlanta also has received production from rookie Austin Riley, who went 2-for-3 with a two-run blast on Saturday and has gone 8-for-15 with two homers and four RBIs over his first four major-league games. The Brewers battled back on Saturday to forge a tie in the ninth inning but finished 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and suffered their second straight loss after winning nine of their previous 12 contests. Lorenzo Cain led Milwaukee with two doubles en route to a 3-for-5 performance, extending his hitting streak to eight games and raising his average to .368 in that span.
TV: 1:20 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Brandon Woodruff (6-1, 3.72 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (0-3, 8.02)
Woodruff has been a big key to Milwaukee’s early success this season as he seeks to become the first National League pitcher to record seven wins. The 26-year-old has limited opponents to a .224 batting average while going 4-0 with a 1.23 ERA in his last four starts, registering 27 strikeouts while allowing only three runs and 17 hits in 22 innings. Woodruff, who will be facing the Braves for the first time, shut out Philadelphia on one hit over six innings on Tuesday despite issuing five walks.
Foltynewicz's season has gotten off to a dreadful start, as he has served up eight homers over 21 1/3 innings in four starts while his average fastball velocity is down from 96.8 miles per hour last year to 94.2. The 27-year-old, who missed most of spring training and the first four weeks of the campaign with elbow soreness, surrendered a career-worst eight runs on seven hits - three homers - and three walks in 4 2/3 frames against St. Louis on Tuesday. Foltynewicz, who has yet to allow fewer than four runs, is 2-2 with a 2.90 ERA in six career games (five starts) versus the Brewers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Brewers LF Ryan Braun is riding a six-game hitting streak and is batting .423 with two doubles, four homers and 14 RBIs in his last 15 contests.
2. Atlanta released Jonny Venters and signed fellow LHP Jerry Blevins, who was designated for assignment by the team on Tuesday in order to open a 40-man roster spot for Riley.
3. Milwaukee RHP Jimmy Nelson (shoulder) recorded eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 scoreless innings for Triple-A San Antonio on Friday, and will make one more rehab start as he tries to return to the majors for the first time since September 2017.