Fans of low-scoring affairs and pitching duels will be in for a treat on Thursday afternoon at PETCO Park, when the Milwaukee Brewers will trot out a Cy Young candidate against the reigning Cy Young winner and the San Diego Padres to wrap up a three-game set between these National League clubs.
Ben Sheets (11-5, 2.95) broke a three-game losing skid to power the Brewers to a 6-0 shutout of Washington at home, as he tossed a five-hitter for his fourth complete-game effort of the season, and he is now tied for the league lead with teammate C.C. Sabathia. Sheets struck out six Nationals in the contest, and he is now 12th in the National League in that category. Since he was named the league's starter for the All-Star game, the 30-year-old righthander had not won in four starts, but this start could be the spark for a second-half run for Sheets, who has not faced the Padres since 2003. He took a no-decision as he was tagged for six runs on eight hits in six innings, but Milwaukee came away with an 8-7 win at home.
Jake Peavy (8-8, 2.68) struggled with his control in a 6-3 loss at Colorado, as the 2007 Cy Young winner walked a season-high five batters along with three strikeouts. Peavy also allowed three runs on five hits over six innings of work, and that was his second straight loss. You would think a return home would be good for the 27-year-old righthander, but he has suffered from a lack of run support at PETCO, going 4-4 in ten starts despite a microscopic ERA of 1.43. Peavy dominated the Brewers in their lone meeting last season, tossing a two-hitter over seven innings to lead the Padres to a 3-0 shutout at home.
The Brewers took the first game of this series by a 5-2 score, and if the Padres had trouble scoring in that game, then the next two may be impossible as they face Sabathia and Sheets back-to-back. Peavy can hold the powerful Brewers for only so long, but the lack of run support is something that San Diego needs to address in the off-season.
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