The Milwaukee Brewers hope that rookie left-hander Robert Gasser can replicate his big-league debut when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon in the rubber game of the three-game series.
Gasser (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will be opposed by left-hander Martin Perez (1-2, 3.60).
Milwaukee evened the series with a 4-3 victory Tuesday night, scoring all four runs in the second inning off Quinn Priester. Sal Frelick had a two-run homer for the Brewers, and Joe Ross pitched five effective innings for his first win since April 9.
The Pirates got all their runs via the long ball on Nick Gonzales’ two-run homer in the fourth and a solo shot by Connor Joe with two outs in the ninth.
Frelick also prevented an extra-base hit by Andrew McCutchen to end the eighth inning with a sensational diving catch at the warning track in center field after a long run.
“The play that Frelick made … they play defense. They do not beat themselves,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of the Brewers. “We’ve watched for two nights a really elite defensive team. They do not give away outs.”
Gasser allowed just two hits over six scoreless innings in an 11-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. He became the first pitcher in franchise history to throw at least six scoreless innings and issue no walks in his debut.
Gasser, acquired in the 2022 deadline deal that sent All-Star closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres, struck out four and hit a batter in his 79-pitch debut.
Gasser, 24, was 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA at Triple-A Nashville after opening the season on the injured list due to a bone spur in his left elbow. He was 9-1 with a 3.79 ERA last season in 26 games (25 starts) for Nashville.
“I think ‘Gas’ came in with a little chip on his shoulder, like, ‘I should have been here last year in my mind,’ ” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after Gasser’s first start. “It’s great to see them get here, they paid their dues and they have a little edge to them.”
Milwaukee catcher William Contreras singled in the first inning on Tuesday, extending his on-base streak to a career-high 22 games. He is hitting .349 over that span with eight doubles, a homer, 10 RBIs, 13 walks and 20 runs.
As expected, Milwaukee placed first baseman Rhys Hoskins on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday because of a strained right hamstring sustained a day earlier. Hoskins, who has a team-high nine homers, missed all of 2023 with the Philadelphia Phillies after surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee after hitting 30 homers in 2022.
Infielder Owen Miller was recalled from Nashville to fill Hoskins’ roster spot.
Perez, who will be making his ninth start, allowed four runs in five-plus innings in his latest outing but did not get a decision in the Pirates’ 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on May 8.
Perez is 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA in four road starts this year. Overall, he has not walked a batter in his past two starts covering 10 1/3 innings.
In three career appearances, including two starts, against the Brewers, Perez is 0-1 with a 5.94 ERA.
Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz doubled on Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to a season-high eight games. Over his past 20 games, Cruz is hitting .348 (24-for-69) with seven doubles, four homers and 12 RBIs.
–Field Level Media