/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12823359/20130408_mjr_su5_124.0.jpg)
I'm relatively confident the Brewers will win at least one game in May, but it hasn't happened yet.
They'll get another chance tonight when they send Wily Peralta (6.00/4.47 ERA/FIP) to the mound to face the Rangers in their first interleague game of 2013. Peralta will be on normal rest tonight after facing the Cardinals on Thursday and allowing six runs on eleven hits over 4.1 innings, walking two and striking out three. All eleven of those hits were singles.
As you might expect after giving up eleven hits while recording just 13 outs, Peralta's batting average on balls in play is up a bit (.328) this season. It's also worth noting, though, that Peralta has struggled to put hitters away in 2013. He's striking out less than five batters per nine after getting over seven last season and 8.5/9 for his career in the minors.
Peralta, obviously, hasn't faced the Rangers before.
He'll face 24-year-old righty Justin Grimm (2.28/3.10 ERA/FIP), who is making just his seventh major league start. Grimm was a tough luck loser against the White Sox on Thursday, allowing three runs on six hits over 6.2 innings with four walks and nine strikeouts. He threw 105 pitches in that game.
Grimm was the Rangers' fifth round pick in the 2010 draft and before the season John Sickels of Minor League Ball ranked him as the organization's fifth best prospect. Grimm was the AL Rookie of the Month for April and Sickels' "prospect of the day" yesterday. Here's an excerpt from that post on his scouting report:
"His fastball tops out at 95-96 MPH and is usually in the low-90s, though occasionally it falls into the 87-90 range. He relies on his impressive curveball as his main breaking pitch, but will mix in some occasional cutters and sliders. His change-up was poor when he came into pro ball, but it has greatly improved over the last two years and he now has a complete four-pitch arsenal. Despite serious issues with command and consistency in college, he's generally done well locating his pitches in pro ball."
Grimm is facing the Brewers for the first time.
As of this writing I haven't seen tonight's lineup. If you have, please drop it in the comments.
And in the bullpen:
- Tom Gorzelanny pitched one inning (12 pitches) on Sunday and also pitched on Saturday.
- Alfredo Figaro pitched 2.2 innings (50 pitches) on Sunday.
- John Axford pitched .1 innings (21 pitches) on Sunday.
- Michael Gonzalez pitched one inning (13 pitches) on Sunday.
- Brandon Kintzler pitched .2 innings (seven pitches) on Sunday.
- Burke Badenhop and Jim Henderson last pitched on Saturday.