Brewers 0, Reds 2: Series Ends With A Whimper

Box Score

Starting Pitcher: Julio Teheran - 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 86 pitches, 60 strikes (69.8%)
Home Runs: None
Top 3 WPA: Julio Teheran (.071), Trevor Megill (.017), Hoby Milner (.016) 
Bottom 3 WPA: William Contreras (-.138), Christian Yelich (-.137), Blake Perkins (-.096) 

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Teheran Does His Best, Just Not Enough
Julio Teheran had another quality start, giving up just three hits. Unfortunately, two of those hits ended up in the seats. After the right-hander cruised through the first two innings with just a single baserunner, Stuart Fairchild led off the third by hitting a home run to left field. Teheran gave up two more baserunners that inning, but escaped with just one earned run after a crucial double play turned by Andruw Monasterio and Owen Miller.

In the fourth inning, Teheran retired the first two batters, before giving up another home run to Tyler Stephenson, putting the Reds up 2-0. 

Both home runs were off Teheran’s four-seam fastball, which came in under 90 mph. He isn’t much of a strikeout pitcher and is below the league average on every one of his pitches, other than his slider. He does throw a nifty two-seamer from time to time, though.

Milner and Megill Are Flawless, But Just Too Late
Hoby Milner and Trevor Megill tagged in to finish the last two innings of the game, and they performed spectacularly. They combined for 1 2/3 innings and gave up zero baserunners, while striking out three. 

Milner’s weapon of choice was a deadly curveball-changeup combination that earned him the two outs he needed to finish the seventh inning following Teheran’s departure. He threw just two fastballs, a four-seamer and a sinker, in his outing. He also needed just seven pitches.

Megill was the exact opposite, leaning on a frightening 98-mph four-seam fastball he used in tandem with a knuckle curve that hovered around 84 mph. He needed just eleven pitches to retire his three batters.

Too bad they didn’t have the run support to get the win, as the offense would fail to overcome a measly 2-0 deficit.

Cold Bats Waste Excellent Pitching
The Brewers had three hits in the entirety of this game. Christian Yelich went 0-4 and struck out three times. Rowdy Tellez went 0-3. This lineup doesn’t just get cold, it gets Milwaukee-in-the-winter cold. Who knew a rookie pitcher could cut up a major-league team this effectively?

What’s Next? 
The Brewers will start a series against the Baltimore Orioles, who are currently 37-22 and second in the most competitive division in baseball, the AL East. Meanwhile, the Brewers just ceded their top spot in the NL Central to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Baltimore’s run differential is +30, the eighth-best in MLB. Milwaukee’s run differential is -21, the 20th-best in MLB. 

I think we have a great chance of snagging a couple of wins over the next few days. Freddy Peralta will take the mound opposite Kyle Gibson in the opener.

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