Brewers at Marlins
Yasmani Grandal's impressive power display has the Milwaukee Brewers knocking on the door of a return trip to the playoffs. With four homers in his last five contests, the two-time All-Star looks to send the Brewers to their fifth straight victory on Tuesday when they continue their four-game series against the host Miami Marlins.
Grandal belted a two-run blast to highlight a four-run seventh inning in Milwaukee's 8-3 win on Monday, giving him 26 homers on the season to move one shy of his career high set in 2016. The former Miami Hurricanes standout has seven RBIs and eight runs scored in his last seven games heading into an encounter against right-hander Elieser Hernandez, who has struggled to keep the ball in the park of late. Miguel Rojas has flustered the Brewers this season, with his 3-for-5 performance on Monday improving his season series total to 8-for-18 with three RBIs. Fellow Marlin Garrett Cooper has been sizzling of late, batting 12-for-28 with five extra-base hits (three doubles, two homers), six RBIs and three runs scored during his six-game hitting streak.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Chase Anderson (6-4, 4.58 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Elieser Hernandez (3-5, 5.23)
Anderson has worked just four innings in each of his last two starts, surrendering seven runs on 12 hits - including three homers - in a 7-1 loss to the Cubs on Aug. 30 and a no-decision against Chicago six days later. The 31-year-old also worked just four frames versus Miami on June 4, exiting after allowing three homers and four runs total in a 16-0 shellacking. Lewis Brinson has homered in both of his career encounters with Anderson, who owns a 3-3 mark with a 4.06 ERA in eight career starts against the Marlins.
Hernandez has been far more comfortable pitching at Marlins Park, posting a 3-2 record with a 4.12 ERA while limiting foes to a .217 average as opposed to an 0-3 record with a 6.55 ERA and .284 average on the road. The 24-year-old walked away with a no-decision at Pittsburgh on Sept. 5 after allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits in three innings. Hernandez surrendered one homer versus the Pirates, marking the seventh time that he has been taken deep in his last five outings (25 innings).
WALK-OFFS
1. Milwaukee CF Trent Grisham's five-hit performance in the series opener tied a franchise record for a rookie (Keon Broxton, Aug. 6, 2016).
2. Miami 1B Neil Walker, who is riding a four-game hitting streak, resides one run shy of 600 for his career.
3. Brewers RF Christian Yelich is 7-for-11 with a homer, four RBIs and four runs scored during the team's winning streak and 7-for-12 with a homer and two RBIs against his former team this season.