The visiting Houston Astros will be looking to convert their scoring opportunities when they face the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday in the second contest of the three-game series.
Rookie Chad Patrick (1-3, 2.87 ERA) will get the start for the Brewers against fellow right-hander Hayden Wesneski (1-2, 3.86).
Christian Yelich, who was playing in his 1,500th career game, belted a two-run homer and Tobias Myers allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings in Milwaukee’s 5-1 victory in the series opener on Monday.
The Astros, who have lost four straight road series, had nine hits in the opener, but stranded eight, including the bases loaded in the sixth inning when they scored their only run to cut the lead to 3-1.
“That sixth inning, we had an opportunity there to capitalize,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’ve just got to relax and let the game come to us. I think sometimes we tried hard, tried to get a big hit and come through for our team.”
“This offense is going to explode pretty soon,” he said. “We’ve just got to stay positive.”
Wesneski, who split time between the bullpen and starting rotation in three seasons with the Chicago Cubs, has been used exclusively as a starter with the Astros. For his career, Wesneski is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in five appearances (one start) versus the Brewers, all as a Cub.
He took a hard-luck loss in his previous start, allowing two runs in five innings in a 2-0 defeat at Kansas City.
Shortstop Jeremy Pena extended his hitting streak to nine games with a leadoff single in the first inning. Pena is hitting .368 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs over that span.
The Astros placed outfielder Yordan Alvarez on the 10-day injured list Monday with right-hand inflammation and recalled catcher Cesar Salazar from Triple-A Sugar Land. Alvarez, who hit .308 last season and has hit at least 31 homers each of the last four seasons, is hitting just .210 with three home runs.
Milwaukee has not lost a series to Houston at home since September 2012. The Astros need to win the final two games to take the series, but have not won back-to-back games in Milwaukee since 2006.
Patrick has lost his last three starts, allowing seven runs in 16 innings over that span. In his last outing, he allowed three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, throwing a career-high 102 pitches, in an 8-0 loss at the Chicago White Sox.
“He was outstanding,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said afterward. “I thought he helped us a bunch. Our bullpen was depleted today, obviously, and it was crucial that he went deep, and he did. Any adversity he had, he fought through. The line won’t look as good as he pitched. He pitched really well.”
Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick, who left Sunday’s game vs. the Cubs with a sore left knee, was out of the lineup Monday after an MRI showed swelling and inflammation. He is not expected to head to the injured list.
–Field Level Media
