MILWAUKEE BREWERS (12-16) @ ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (14-15)
Friday, May 7, 2010, @ 8:40 p.m. (CDT)
Yovani Gallardo (3-2, 3.00) vs. Edwin Jackson (1-3, 8.07)
Saturday, May 8, 2010, @ 7:10 p.m. (CDT)
Randy Wolf (2-2, 3.86) vs. Cesar Valdez (1-0, 1.80)
Sunday, May 9, 2010, @ 3:10 p.m. (CDT)
Chis Narveson (2-0, 6.0) vs. Ian Kennedy (2-1, 3.65)
In each of the past three seasons, the Brewers have gone 5-2 against the Diamondbacks, outscoring Arizona 107-65 over the stretch.
Today's preview is a profile of the April NL Player of the Month, Diamondback Kelly Johnson.
After going 0-7 to start the season, Johnson ended April slugging a league-leading .750. He also led the NL with nine HR. He hit .324 with 18 RBI and five multi-hit games, including a four-hit games against the Cubs to end the month.
His had eight doubles to lead all NL second basemen and the nine April home run tied him for the second-highest April total in D-Backs history.
Johnson was a first-round draft pick in 2000 and gained regular playing time in the majors in 2005 with the Atlanta Braves. This is his first season with the Diamondbacks and he's sure made himself at home.
According to Wikipedia: "Johnson had the longest hitting streak in the National League of the 2008 season, hitting in 22-straight games. He hit .398 with 19 RBIs in 25 games in September."
According to this Arizona Republic article, Johnson doesn't know where the power came from, but he's not questioning it, either.
From USA Today:
- Johnson has reached base safely via a hit or walk in 21 of his last 22 games and is already more than halfway to his career-high of 16 home runs in 2007.
- Johnson has 61 total bases in the D-backs' first 24 games. That projects to 411 in the season. That would rank 16th all-time for a single-season
Despite the Brewers seeming dominance over the past few years, the outcomes have been stronger for the Brewers later in the season. Last season the two teams matched up in late April/early May and split the series 2-2, but Milwaukee swept the Diamondbacks in September.