In the pivotal game of a three-game series, the Atlanta Braves will face the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday afternoon, facing up against ace left-hander Chris Sale.
The major league leader in wins, Sale (13-3, 2.68 ERA), will face right-hander Freddy Peralta (6-6, 3.94), who has struggled as Milwaukee’s first starter.
Tuesday night’s 5-1 Braves victory tied the series at one game apiece. After being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett earlier in the day, Bryce Elder went 6 1/3 innings, struck out seven, walked one, and gave up one run on five hits.
Nearby Waukesha, Wisconsin native Jarred Kelenic marked his homecoming with a home run and a double, and Atlanta’s 14-hit offense was led by Austin Riley’s four hits.
With the lowest ERA in the National League, Sale has recovered from a slight setback in June. He pitched to a 1.17 ERA in seven straight starts from April 19 to May 26, but in five June appearances, he was 2-2 with a 4.20 ERA. Sale has made four starts this month and is 3-0 with a 2.28 ERA.
Sale did not receive the decision in the Braves’ 3-2, 10-inning road defeat to the New York Mets on Thursday, despite giving up two runs in 7 1/3 innings in his most recent appearance.
The Braves’ losing run of six games, which ended up being a season best, began with that fifth loss. With three of its last four games won, Atlanta has recovered and is now half a game ahead of the competition for the top NL wild-card slot.
After his start on Thursday, Sale told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “There’s a certain time that you gotta get it going.” “Just hoping that it’s sooner rather than later.”
Only once in his career has Sale played the Brewers, and that was in 2015. In those appearances, which came during his time with the Chicago White Sox, he is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA.
On Tuesday, Atlanta shortstop Orlando Arcia smacked a double and a single, extending his hitting streak to eleven games. He is striking.364 (12-for-33) in that time, including five RBIs and two home runs.
In a 6-2 loss to the Miami Marlins on Friday, Peralta struggled in his last appearance, giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. In 97 pitches, he struck out four and walked five.
“After the game, I should have pitched better,” Peralta remarked. “Knowing that your goal is to keep the game tight as long as possible makes it difficult to let up runs in the first or second inning. I feel good about myself since I was able to adopt that mindset today.”
In his last 15 outings, Peralta has a 4.24 ERA and a 3-6 record. In his four starts this month, he is 0-2 with a 4.43 ERA, giving up 22 hits in 20 1/3 innings, including four home runs. In his six career appearances (five starts), he is 3-2 with a 4.45 ERA against the Braves.
Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell doubled on Tuesday as he continues to hone his form after missing the first three months of the season due to a finger injury. With four doubles, a home run, and five runs in his last 11 games, the quick Mitchell is hitting.353 (12-for-34).
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