Brewers 2, Rockies 3: Close, But No Cigar

Box Score

Starting Pitcher: Freddy Peralta - 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, 94 pitches, 61 strikes (64.9%)
Home Runs: None 
Top 3 WPA: Freddy Peralta (.142), Jesse Winker (.107), Rowdy Tellez (.076) 
Bottom 3 WPA: Willy Adames (-.212), Brian Anderson (-.206), Peter Strzelecki (-.185)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Peralta Overcomes Early Struggles En Route to 10 Strikeouts 
Freddy Peralta has a special relationship with Coors Field. On Mother’s Day in 2018, Peralta made his major-league debut and struck out 13 batters while allowing no hits until the sixth inning. He set a new Brewers record for strikeouts in a game as a rookie, and became just the fifth pitcher since 1908 to have 13 or more in his first game.

Today, he had a (ahem) rockier start. He gave up two home runs, one to Ezequiel Tovar in the third inning and one to Elias Diaz in the fourth. After a few mound visits from William Contreras and a few encouraging gestures, Peralta seemed to figure things out, allowing no more earned runs through the remainder of his start and becoming the first Brewers starter to crack double digits with a strikeout total this year. 

He also recorded a tremendous 25 swings and misses, mostly thanks to some truly filthy moment from his slider and curveball.

The importance of this start was to see if Peralta would be able to work his way through tough early innings to flex his stuff. His fastest pitch of the start was a 97.6-mph four-seam fastball, his 80th pitch, showing an ability to maintain velocity deep into games. 

Out of the active rotation, Peralta has the second-best ERA at 3.63--trailing only Wade Miley, who stands at an exceptional 1.86.

Doubles Are Pretty Much The Same As Homers, Right?
While Milwaukee wasn’t able to hit any balls into the seats, they came pretty darn close. Rowdy Tellez himself hit two doubles, one in the first inning and one in the sixth. 

Christian Yelich also hit a lead-off double in the sixth inning, with some particularly interesting batted-ball data. Many of us know that Coors Field is the most hitter-friendly park in baseball, due to its high-altitude location that allows balls to fly higher and farther than usual. However, this advantage is slightly offset by the sheer size of its outfield. Yelich’s double had an exit velocity of 109.5 mph, a launch angle of 20 degrees, a total distance of 421 feet, and an expected batting average of .870. In 24 out of 30 ballparks, it would’ve been a home run. Just a particularly interesting batted-ball anomaly in tonight’s game. 

Contreras joined the party in the ninth inning, hitting a key automatic double to left-center field in the ninth inning while the Brewers were down by a run. A groundout by Brian Anderson allowed pinch-runner Mike Brosseau to advance to third base, but a Brice Turang strikeout was the nail in the coffin. 

Oh wait, did I mention that Contreras's batted ball went 408 feet and would've been a home run in 28 ballparks? The two exceptions: Coors Field and PNC Park. That also makes two batted-ball anomalies in what is supposed to be a hitter-friendly park. Who broke a mirror before the game?

Winker Dazzles While Flexing New Ice
We all know that baseball players love chains, but nowadays, they mostly look the same: some form of gold links, sometimes bedazzled with diamonds if the contract extension signed in the offseason was long enough. Today, Winker bucked that trend by showing off a 1-of-1 curb chain designed by his daughter, just a day late to be shown on the Met Gala red carpet.

As if imbued by the powers of parenthood, Winker got on base three times, with two hits and one walk. It might’ve been four times if not for a somewhat controversial pitch clock violation that led to his only strikeout of the night.

Craig Counsell seemed particularly careful after being recently ejected and quickly pulled Winker into the dugout to avoid further trouble. After all, there are few things more intimidating than a Winker donning a bead necklace arguing pitch clock violations.

What’s Next? 
Eric Lauer will face Kyle Freeland in a lefty-on-lefty matchup for the second game of this series. The Rockies have an OPS of .652 against lefties this season, a slight decrease from their OPS against righties of .712. The Brewers, on the other hand, have the second-worst OPS against lefty pitching at just .623, while holding an OPS against righty pitching of .738. But who needs stats, when they don't suit our biases?

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