The Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays meet Sunday in MLB action from Tropicana Field. This will be the finale in a three-game series. The Rays took a close win in the opener, then on Saturday Tampa Bay kept it up with a four-run victory. Check back all season long for free MLB picks at Sports Chat Place.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers couldn’t get anything going on eight team hits in the Friday opener of this set, eventually falling 1-0. On Saturday Milwaukee was out-hit 10-6 in an 8-4 defeat. Starter Eric Lauer managed 3.0 innings with six earned, six hits and two walks.
It’ll be Freddy Peralta in the starting role for the Brewers on Sunday. Over his eight starts so far this year Peralta is 4-3 with a 4.11 ERA and 50 Ks in 46.0 innings. Peralta is 34-20 with a 3.85 ERA in 124 career games (75 starts).
Tampa Bay Rays
Over on the Tampa Bay side, they got a great start from Shane McClanahan (7.0 innings; six hits; one walk) in the Friday victory. On Saturday the Rays jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings and won 8-4. Zach Eflin put up 7.0 innings with three earned in the start on eight Ks, four hits and no walks.
As the starter for the Sunday matchup, Tampa Bay will go with Jalen Beeks. So far this season Beeks is 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA in 17 games (four starts). Beeks is 15-10 with a 4.15 ERA in his career over 118 games (15 starts).
The Brewers are 7-2 in their last nine on turf and 23-9 in their last 32 interleague games. Milwaukee is 5-2 in the last seven Sunday games.
Meanwhile, the Rays are 6-1 in their last seven Sunday games and 39-12 in their last 51 at home. Tampa Bay is 41-16 in their last 57 on turf.
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’ll stay with Tampa Bay in this one. I do like Peralta to bounce back from his last start and pitch better here, though. On May 15 versus the Cardinals, Peralta logged six earned on six hits and five walks in 5.1 innings. He’d been pitching much better prior to that, however. In the Saturday game Tampa Bay got a nice start overall from Eflin, and the bullpen backed him up pretty well. It’s also the fourth time the Rays have scored eight runs in their last seven games. I like them to keep it going in the finale.
