Brewers at Athletics
The Milwaukee Brewers received a solid performance from the newest member of their starting rotation and hope to get another from one of their top prospects when they visit the Oakland Athletics on Thursday afternoon for the rubber match of their three-game interleague series. Trent Grisham, an outfielder who made a big splash in Triple A, is expected to be recalled and make his major league debut for Milwaukee.
Grisham, a first-round pick in the 2015 draft, batted .381 with 13 home runs and 30 RBIs in 34 games with San Antonio of the Pacific Coast League after being promoted from Double-A Biloxi. The 22-year-old was kept out of the Missions' lineup Wednesday after belting two homers while hitting for the cycle the previous day. Milwaukee, which trails St. Louis and the Chicago Cubs by one game for first place in the National League Central and is one-half game out of the second wild-card spot, improved to 1-1 on its nine-game road trip with a 4-2 victory Wednesday as Jordan Lyles gave up one run and three hits over five innings two days after being acquired from Pittsburgh. Lorenzo Cain led off the contest for the Brewers with a homer while Jurickson Profar went 2-for-2 with an RBI for Oakland, which had won three straight after losing five of six. The Athletics, who are 3-3 on their eight-game homestand, sit one-half game behind Tampa Bay for the second wild-card berth in the American League.
TV: 3:37 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), NBCS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Chase Anderson (5-2, 3.89 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Homer Bailey (9-7, 5.33)
Anderson enters with a seven-start unbeaten streak but has recorded only two victories and worked fewer than six innings in each outing during that stretch. The 31-year-old Texan is coming off a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday in which he gave up two runs and four hits over five frames. Anderson has made two career starts against Oakland, going 1-0 while allowing two runs and seven hits over 12 2/3 innings.
Bailey has won each of his first two starts at Oakland Coliseum since being acquired from Kansas City, including a triumph over Texas on Saturday in which he allowed three runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. The 33-year-old, who also hails from the Lone Star State, registered 13 strikeouts and issued just one walk without serving up a home run over 12 2/3 frames in those outings. Bailey has made 28 career starts against Milwaukee, going 7-11 with a 4.78 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Athletics added their third pitcher in less than three weeks Wednesday, acquiring RHP Tanner Roark from Cincinnati for OF Jameson Hannah.
2. Milwaukee traded RHP Marcos Diplan to Minnesota for cash considerations, acquired LHP Drew Pomeranz and RHP Ray Black from San Francisco for SS Mauricio Dubon and obtained RHP Jake Faria from Tampa Bay for 1B Jesus Aguilar. Black, Faria and RHP Corbin Burnes were optioned to San Antonio.
3. Oakland placed OF Ramon Laureano (leg) and C Josh Phegley (thumb) on the 10-day injured list, recalled OF Nick Martini and C Beau Taylor from Triple-A Las Vegas, sent Brian Schlitter outright to the Aviators and designated fellow RHP Andrew Triggs for assignment.