In the finale of a two-game interleague series between division leaders, the Milwaukee Brewers are set to host the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon. The Brewers will look to continue their winning streak behind their ace right-hander, Corbin Burnes, while the Twins will send right-hander Kenta Maeda to the mound in hopes of turning the tide.
Milwaukee secured a 7-3 victory in the series opener on Tuesday night, orchestrating a five-run rally in the sixth inning with six singles. The Brewers, coming off a successful 6-3 road trip, have now won four consecutive games and reached a season-high 12 games above .500.
Willy Adames played a pivotal role, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning and marking his third consecutive season with 20 or more home runs. Adames has been on fire at the plate, batting .310 with three homers and nine RBIs in his last 11 games.
Having won eight straight interleague games, the Brewers have widened their lead in the NL Central to 3 1/2 games over the Chicago Cubs, who suffered an 8-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. The Minnesota Twins, the sole team with a winning record in the AL Central, maintain a five-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians.
Corbin Burnes, the Brewers’ ace, boasts a 9-6 record with a 3.43 ERA. He has been performing exceptionally, notching a 2.34 ERA in his past nine starts. In his most recent outing, Burnes pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out nine. Despite his impressive performance, he did not receive a decision in the Brewers’ 1-0 loss to the Dodgers on Thursday.
Burnes has faced the Twins five times in his career, holding a 2-1 record with a 2.96 ERA. This season, he faced the Twins once, exiting the game with a 5-3 lead after conceding three runs in six-plus innings. However, the Milwaukee bullpen allowed a late comeback, resulting in a 7-5 loss.
On the opposing side, Kenta Maeda will take the mound for the Twins. Maeda has a 3-2 record with a 2.54 ERA in his eight career starts against the Brewers. In his recent start, he allowed three runs on seven hits, including two home runs, in just over four innings. While he didn’t secure the decision, he battled through long at-bats and worked hard on the mound.
The Twins’ Jordan Luplow has been making an impact, hitting .292 with three extra-base hits in 10 games since joining the team after being claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays on August 4.
As the Brewers aim to extend their winning streak and the Twins seek to bounce back, the clash promises to deliver a competitive showdown between division leaders in this interleague matchup.
