Right-hander Brandon Sproat will look to secure his first career big league win as the Milwaukee Brewers host the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game set at American Family Field.
Sproat (0-2, 5.87 ERA) is set to face off against San Diego knuckleballer Matt Waldron (1-1, 7.71 ERA), though Waldron recently pitched behind an opener in his last outing.
Both clubs had Monday off, but each delivered dramatic victories on Sunday.
The Padres mounted a comeback to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2, fueled by a game-tying two-run homer from Nick Castellanos with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, followed by Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning.
Meanwhile, the Brewers walked off the New York Yankees 4-3 on a two-out, ninth-inning homer by Brice Turang, completing a series sweep and lifting Milwaukee to a season-high six games above .500.
“We didn’t swing the bat great, but we just chip away,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after Sunday’s win. “There’s high standards and those guys love the opportunity to compete.”
Sproat, making his sixth start and eighth appearance of the season, went 0-2 in four September starts last year with the Mets. In his most recent outing, he scattered one hit over four scoreless innings but received no decision in a 6-2 win at St. Louis. He struck out five and walked three on 76 pitches.
“(Sproat) made some big pitches in some big times and had way too many three-ball counts. … I think he’s learning stuff,” Murphy added. “He’s learning, ‘I can do it. I’m good enough. I don’t have to be sharp.'”
Control has been an issue for the 25-year-old, who has issued 18 walks over 30 2/3 innings.
Reliever Aaron Ashby has been a versatile weapon for Milwaukee. He struck out three over a scoreless inning Sunday and picked up his major-league-leading seventh victory on Saturday despite allowing an unearned run in the 10th as the Brewers rallied to win 4-3. Over his last 11 outings, Ashby owns a 0.64 ERA, surrendering just one earned run in 14 innings with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks.
San Diego managed to split its series with the Cardinals despite tallying just 14 hits in the four games, the fewest hits by the Padres in any four-game series in franchise history.
“We’re not hitting,” Machado said after Sunday’s win. “It’s obvious. But we’re getting things done. … At the end of the day, it’s about winning ballgames, and we’re doing that.”
Waldron earned the win in relief last time out after a first-inning opener, allowing one run on two hits over five innings with seven strikeouts in a 5-1 victory over the Giants.
“I think the preparation was a little bit different,” Waldron said. “But the second you’re out there, the goal is the same — go as deep as you can.”
Waldron struggled in April, allowing 15 runs over 13 2/3 innings across three starts, including six runs in each of his first two outings.
