Game Thread #12: Milwaukee Brewers (6-5) @ Colorado Rockies (2-8)

Brewers look to end woeful series streak in Colorado

Astute Brewers observers will undoubtedly have heard over the past couple of days an interesting fact about the Milwaukee Brewers: they, despite being one of the best teams in baseball over the past seven years, haven’t won a series in Colorado since 2018, despite them being one of the worst teams in baseball over that span.

It’s an odd little truth. Ever since Milwaukee took three of four at Coors Field from May 10-13 in 2018, the Rockies are 12-6 (including last night’s loss) when playing the Brewers at home, winning three series and splitting two others. Milwaukee knocked Colorado out of the playoffs in the 2018 NLDS, and since the beginning of the 2019 season, the Rockies are 361-518 while the Brewers are 490-391, making it especially odd that the Brewers can’t beat them.

But that can all be stopped tonight against a 2-8 Rockies team that could be the worst team in the National League and could rival the White Sox as the worst team in the majors. Milwaukee, who could get a couple season debuts out of their rotation in the near future, will turn tonight to Tyler Alexander, who was unhittable (literally) his last time out, when he tossed 5 ²⁄₃ scoreless, hitless innings against the Reds.

The Rockies, meanwhile, turn to Antonio Senzatela, who hasn’t allowed a run yet in this young season. Senzatela had a fantastic year in the shortened 2020 season and then a solid follow-up campaign in 2021, but he struggled a bit in 2022 and tore an ACL that year, and then needed Tommy John surgery in 2023, so he has thrown only 122 major league innings in the past four years. Senzatela’s 0.00 ERA through two starts is misleading: he has somehow kept opposing teams off the scoreboard (mostly—he does have one unearned run allowed) despite having allowed a shocking 19 hits in 9 ²⁄₃ innings, which puts his H/9 at 17.7 and his WHIP at 2.172. Add in that he isn’t striking batters out—just three Ks in those nine-plus innings—and it sort of boggles the mind that he hasn’t allowed any earned runs. We’ll see if the Brewers can get to him tonight.

Milwaukee’s big boppers showed signs of life last night, and Coors Field (and the pitching staff that comes with it) is a great place to work out some kinks, as we saw homers not only from the newly powerful Brice Turang but also from Christian Yelich and William Contreras, who continue to fight to get their OPS scores over .500. The rest of the lineup is as you would expect against the right-handed Senzatela. Colorado mega-prospect Zac Veen, who made his MLB debut (and collected his first hit) last night, is in the lineup again batting ninth.

First pitch is at 7:40 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin and the Brewers Radio Network.