Strong start from Peralta helps Brewers to 3-1 win

At the time of this posting, the Brewers have a four-game lead over the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central lead. Even if they lose out on the division, they are in an excellent position to make the postseason still. Fangraphs currently has the Brewers’ playoff odds at 99.7%, but a 0.5% chance at getting a first-round bye. So by that math, the Brewers have a good chance at opening the month of October with a three-game playoff series.

These last three games have become a preview of sorts for what could be a tough out in a potential postseason series. The trio of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta have all had their challenges this season. However, as of late, they have been clicking on all cylinders, while posing a very difficult trio for opponents to face. On Sunday, Burnes produced eight innings of no-hit baseball. On Monday, Brandon Woodruff produced his second career complete game and his first career shutout.

Now on Tuesday, Freddy Peralta produced another gem. His dominant performance reassures the strength of this Brewers team. He kept the Marlins offense mostly quiet, and some production from the newest member of the Brewers lineup helped propel the Brewers to a 3-1 win over the Marlins.

Craig Counsell ended up saying he believed this was a good thing, but the game did not start great for the Brewers and Freddy Peralta. Peralta allowed the first batter of the game, Luis Arraez, to hit his seventh home run of the season into the right-field bleachers. Down 1-0 early, Peralta settled down and was effective at hitting the zone. He allowed one more hit in the second but then set down his next 14 batters.

While Peralta was effective in getting strikes, leading to nine strikeouts on the night, the Brewers were showing some good patience. Down 1-0, they opened up the second by walking the bases loaded. After a Brice Turang strikeout, Andruw Monasterio drove in the first run of the game with a walk of his own. The Brewers ended the inning unable to capitalize for anything else after having the bases loaded with no outs, and the inning ended in a 1-1 tie.

The newest addition to the lineup, Josh Donaldson, made a splash in the bottom of the fourth. Having already reached with a walk in the second, Donaldson launched his first home run as a Brewer. The 429-foot home run made it a 2-1 game. Donaldson, who struggled mightily in New York and didn’t hit the ball particularly well in Nashville, is 3-for-6 with a few walks so far through two games in Milwaukee.

A pair of doubles from Monasterio and William Contreras extended the Brewers lead to 3-1 in the seventh. Hoby Milner led a strong outing from the bullpen. He paired with Abner Uribe and Devin Williams to produce 2 ⅔ innings of no-hit baseball, and the score would remain 3-1 to the final strikeout.

The win from Peralta is his 12th win of the season. Per Adam McCalvy, the Brewers’ big three starters have now allowed just eight hits and one earned run in their last three starts (23 1/3 innings pitched). They have struck out 23 batters in that stretch while walking just three. The Brewers will have a bullpen day tomorrow with Trevor Megill starting as they try to take game three of the four-game set against the Marlins.