September 11 – Colin Rea and Blake Snell continue their three-game streak against the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night. They should be given good rest during the series.
Aaron Civale and three relievers combined for four hits as the Brewers (83-61) beat the hosts 3-2 in Tuesday’s series opener.
The Brewers have met the Giants in three of four meetings this season (71-74). San Francisco won the first game in Milwaukee last month, then the Brewers took the next two games.
Both teams have had success whenever Rhea and Snell have taken the field this season.
Rhea (12-4, 3.72 ERA) appeared in 27 games for the Brewers, starting 24 and coming off the bench three times. Milwaukee compiled a 19-8 record in those games.
The right-hander has been limited to just four innings in his past two starts against the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, during which he gave up six runs (five ERA) and 10 hits. The Brewers split the games.
The 34-year-old will make his fourth start against the Giants and is 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA in his first three starts.
They will face a Giants team that has struggled to score at home recently. They have lost 10 of their last 15 home games and have scored four points or less in 10 games during that span.
Milwaukee was not one of the 26 teams Snell (2-3, 3.62), a two-time Cy Young Award winner, beat in his major league career. He faced the Brewers only twice, going 0-2 with an 8.00 ERA.
The left-hander threw 42 pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks last Thursday and was taken out after just one inning.
The Giants won 3-2, marking their fourth consecutive game in which Snell started. The 31-year-old has yet to have a decision in a game, his most recent victory being a 7-4 win over the Washington Nationals on Aug. 7.
San Francisco has started the season at 11–6.
Snell may have been motivated by the embarrassment of getting only three outs against the Diamondbacks. He admitted he agreed with the decision to remove him, even though Arizona State scored only two points (one earned). Two walks and two strikeouts helped boost his pitch count.
“Too many pitches,” he explained. “It’s not wise to go back. I’ve done that before and never felt good afterwards. The risk is too high and the reward is too low.”
One Brewers player Snell is unfamiliar with is outfielder Isaac Collins, who celebrated his major league debut with his first big league hit Sunday against the Colorado Rockies.
The replacement batsman said he enjoyed batting at No. 8 in his debut match as it helped him score runs when the No. 1 batsman returned.
“I consider myself a glue guy,” the newbie said. “I tried to get on base and had the big dog knock me down.”
Collins did not play in Tuesday’s series opener. There were only 13 hits in the game, 9 of them by the Brewers.
Neither Reed nor Snell played when the Brewers and Giants met in Milwaukee last month.
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