Cleveland @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 21, 2015 ) Cleveland 1, Milwaukee 8

For a team that is supposed to be selling off the usable parts of the roster, the Milwaukee Brewers sure are playing like a team with a shot at the playoffs. The Brewers will try to secure their fifth straight win when they host the Cleveland Indians in the finale of a two-game interleague series on Wednesday.

Milwaukee (42-52) has won 17 of its last 23 contests to pull within 10 games of .500, and is dominating on both sides of the ball since the break. The Brewers ripped the Indians 8-1 in Tuesday’s series opener and are outscoring their opponents 26-8 in the four contests since returning from the Midsummer Classic. Cleveland (44-48) dipped four games below .500 with Tuesday’s setback and is far enough out of the second wild-card spot in the American League that the team could be active at the trade deadline as well, though the starting pitching is reportedly off limits. Cody Anderson is one of those building blocks in the Indians' rotation and will oppose Milwaukee’s Kyle Lohse on Wednesday.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Cody Anderson (2-1, 0.89 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Kyle Lohse (5-10, 6.17)

Anderson is off to an incredible start in his major-league career and has yet to allow more than one earned run or throw fewer than 6 2/3 innings in his first four turns. The 24-year-old walked more than one batter for the first time in his last start, when he issued two while yielding one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings against Houston on July 9. Anderson suffered his only loss in his last road start, when he was reached for one run and six hits in eight innings at Pittsburgh.

Lohse is having a little more trouble working deeper into games and has not hit Anderson’s minimum of 6 2/3 innings in any of his last 11 starts. Lohse is making his first start of the second half and went five innings at Los Angeles on July 12, yielding two runs and four hits. The veteran is making his first start against Cleveland since June 9, 2012, when he tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings to earn a win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Brewers SS Jean Segura homered on Tuesday to record his first extra-base hit since June 5.

2. Cleveland 2B Jason Kipnis is 6-for-12 in the last three games.

3. Milwaukee RHP Wily Peralta (left oblique strain) threw five innings at Double-A Biloxi on Tuesday and could make his next start in the majors.

PREDICTION: Indians 4, Brewers 2