Wade Miley, one of the early season’s toughest pitchers, leads the way for the Milwaukee Brewers (14-6) as they host the Boston Red Sox (11-10) at American Family Field on Saturday.
The Red Sox took Friday’s series opener 5-3. Starter Nick Pivetta went 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and striking out seven, to get the win, and Kenley Jansen picked up his fifth save with a scoreless ninth.
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5 with a home run and a double in the win. He had two RBIs. Rowdy Tellez went 1 for 3 with a solo home run for the Brewers.
ON THE MOUND
Garrett Whitlock (1-1, 9.00 ERA) is in line to start for Boston. The righty allowed one run over seven innings in his last start, a 2-1 road win over the Angels on Sunday. He got the win, giving up three hits while striking out five and walking two.
Whitlock is making his first appearance against the Brewers this season. Whitlock made one appearance against the Brewers in 2022, a 7-2 home victory on July 31. He allowed two hits over two scoreless innings, striking out one.
For Milwaukee, southpaw Miley (2-1, 2.45 ERA) will take the mound. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Red Sox. In his last start on Sunday, Miley got the win on the road against the Padres. He threw seven scoreless innings and gave up four hits, striking out eight, in the 1-0 victory.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Boston has averaged 5.8 runs a game, a small gain compared to their season average of 5.5. Against lefties like Miley this season, the Sox have a .760 OPS. Rafael Devers is the team’s strongest performer against left-handers with a .886 OPS in 34 at-bats.
Milwaukee is averaging only 4.4 runs per game in the last five, down slightly from 4.9 for the season. The Brew Crew have a .769 OPS against righties in 2023. With a .991 OPS over 55 at-bats, Tellez has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Boston is 4-4 in road games in 2023, scoring 5.1 runs per game while allowing 4.8 runs. Milwaukee has gone 5-2 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 5.6 runs per game while surrendering 2.6. In seven games between the teams at American Family Field, Boston is 4-3 with an average scoreline of 6.1-6.0.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Red Sox are fifth in the AL East, six games behind the division-leading Rays. The Brewers lead the NL Central by zero games over the Pirates.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Milwaukee Brewers (-125)
Want up to a $1K risk free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our MLB hub page for all your baseball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
