Brewers 3, Padres 10: You Win Some, You Lose Some

Box Score
SP: Freddy Peralta - 5.0 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 98 pitches, 59 strikes (60.2%)
Home Runs: None
Top 3 WPA: Victor Caratini (.147), Jesse Winker (.145), Joel Payamps (.025) 
Bottom 3 WPA: Freddy Peralta (-.374), Brian Anderson (-.127), Willy Adames (-.101) 

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Peralta Might Be Human After All
Freddy Peralta had his first tough outing of the season, giving up a total five earned runs. Two back-to-back RBI singles by Nelson Cruz and Jake Cronenworth in the first inning got the scoring started early, followed by an RBI single by Manny Machado in the third inning. Things seemed to be calming down until Cronenworth hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning, giving the Padres a 5-3 lead.

Peralta’s velocity seemed in line with his season and career averages, and his control led to just one walk. It seemed like the raw talent of the stacked San Diego Padres lineup simply allowed them to make contact when needed.

Winker And Caratini Show Up, Others Not So Much
Milwaukee started off strong with a two-run first inning, the result of a Jesse Winker double to score Christian Yelich and a Brian Anderson single to score Winker. Winker would put his body on the line for the time in the fourth inning, drawing a hit-by-pitch to earn a run after the bases were loaded by Victor Caratini, Brice Turang, and Joey Wiemer.

And then the bats fell asleep. The Brewers would log just four hits in the remaining four innings of play, none of which were able to close the deficit that had ballooned to seven runs by the top of the 9th inning. Despite having 0 RBI, Caratini actually went 4-for-4 at the plate today, bringing his season batting average to a remarkable .438. He also made this flashy defensive play in the bottom of the second inning to prevent a bunt attempt from getting out of hand.

Bullpen Has Unfortunate Outing
After Peralta’s five-inning start and a one-inning relief appearance from Joel Payamps, Hoby Milner arrived in the seventh inning to keep the game close at 5-3. He promptly walked Juan Soto, gave a single to Xander Bogaerts, a sacrifice fly to Nelson Cruz, and then a two-run RBI to Cronenworth, his second of the game. 

In the eighth inning, Gus Varland was pitching well until a frightening Manny Machado line drive hit him squarely in the head, causing him to immediately be replaced by Javy Guerra. He was able to leave the field without assistance and Craig Counsell later reported that x-rays of Varland's jaw came up negative and that his hand ended up absorbing most of the ball.

Guerra’s control issues began to resurface as he intentionally walked Juan Soto, hit Xander Bogaerts, almost hit Cruz before walking him, and then walked  Cronenworth, allowing two runs to score as a result of his struggles to throw strikes. By the time Ha-Seong Kim popped out to end the inning, the Padres had brought the score to a calamitous 10-3.   

What’s Next?
The Brewers will look to prevent the Padres from tying the four-game series tomorrow, sending Wade Miley to duel fellow pitching veteran Yu Darvish on the mound. They are still tied with the Atlanta Braves for the most wins in the National League so far at ten, but the Pittsburgh Pirates have been looking quite competitive and are just one win away at nine. Here’s hoping the Brewers maintain their current divisional lead all the way to the postseason.

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