Milwaukee @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( May 24, 2023 ) Houston 0, Milwaukee 4
Even with an outfield featuring three regulars -- rookie Jackson Chourio, Blake Perkins and Sal Frelick -- each sporting a sub-100 adjusted OPS, the Milwaukee Brewers have constructed an offense that ranks in the top five in the National League in every category of significance.
That Chourio and Frelick posted multi-hit games in the Brewers' 10-2 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday yielded a measure of optimism. Their contributions helped Milwaukee complete a 5-2 homestand before embarking on a nine-game, 10-day road trip that opens Friday against the Houston Astros.
Chourio and Frelick both homered on Wednesday, and they finished a combined 5-for-8 with three RBIs and five runs. The Brewers have thrived without league-average production from their corner outfielders, but the team's success thus far showcases the potential for an exceptional lineup once the pieces fall in place.
"We have still not produced necessarily with a man on third and less than two (outs), but you go through that a little bit," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "But they've produced other times, so we're putting runs up on the board.
"There's obviously room for improvement. You'd like to get that relentlessness pitch to pitch, but it's very hard. It's very, very hard. There's so much that can take your mind away from that present moment. It's a hard thing for all of us, much less guys in the lineup."
Right-hander Freddy Peralta (3-1, 3.63 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener for the Brewers on Friday. He did not factor into the decision during his most recent start, on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals, after allowing three runs on eight hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over six innings. Milwaukee won that contest 5-3 to improve to 7-1 in Peralta's starts.
Peralta is 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against the Astros. His lone start against the Astros came in Houston on June 11, 2019, when Peralta allowed six runs on eight hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over four-plus innings in a 10-8 loss.
Right-hander Hunter Brown (0-4, 7.79) has the starting assignment for the Astros. Brown made his first relief appearance of the season -- and the longest of his career -- in the Astros' 8-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. He gave up one run on five hits with a season-high-tying seven strikeouts over five innings.
Brown, who is set for his first career appearance against Milwaukee, is 1-8 over his last 14 outings (12 starts) dating to the start of last September.
After Houston's Framber Valdez worked seven shutout innings in a 3-0 victory over Oakland on Wednesday, Cristian Javier followed with six shutout innings in the Astros' 8-1 win over the A's on Thursday as the Astros completed a four-game series sweep.
The Astros' bullpen was in dire straits following the series' first two games. However, with Valdez and Javier working deep into their starts, Houston needed only two relievers -- right-handers Seth Martinez and Shawn Dubin -- to work a combined five innings over the final two games. That sets the table for Houston to have its full stable of relievers ready for the Brewers.
"It's always good to keep those guys fresh," said Astros manager Joe Espada, whose team has won five in a row and seven of the past eight.
"Getting ready for a first-place team who's playing really well -- (a) pretty dynamic offense -- having our bullpen ready to go is good."
--Field Level Media