Game Thread #147: Milwaukee Brewers (84-62) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (82-64)

An old nemesis, a postseason preview?

After grabbing two of three in San Francisco, the Milwaukee Brewers continue their NL West tour tonight (this is their third straight series against an NL West opponent!) in Phoenix, where they’ll face off with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Brewers and Diamondbacks are yet to face each other this season; instead, they’ll play seven games in the next 10 days. Arizona, of course, knocked the Brewers out in the Wild Card round of last year’s postseason. Like last year, they’ve been inconsistent this season but are clicking into place when it matters; on July 22, they were 51-50. Today, they are 82-64. This run roughly coincides with Corbin Carroll remembering that he’s one of the best baseball players alive.

Tonight, the Diamondbacks will send Eduardo Rodríguez to the mound. He’s had a strange couple of years; if you recall, the Dodgers agreed to a trade to acquire him from Detroit at last season’s trade deadline, but he nixed it before signing with Arizona as a free agent. But he was sidelined by shoulder issues in spring training and didn’t make his season debut until August 7. Getting thrown into the season without much preparation tends to go badly, and Rodríguez has a 5.83 ERA and 4.84 FIP in six starts.

For the Brewers, it’ll be Freddy Peralta tonight. He had a classically frustrating Peralta game against the Rockies last Saturday, and while he left the game (against his wishes) in a 1-1 tie with two outs and two on in the fifth inning, he was charged with two additional runs when Hoby Milner allowed a homer to the next batter. Peralta can’t be too upset—his inability to finish hitters and innings has been a source of ulcers for the Milwaukee fanbase and coaching staff this summer.

Jackson Chourio, who became the youngest 20/20 player in league history last night, will again bat leadoff, which he’s been doing regularly lately. Garrett Mitchell remains in the two-hole, as he was yesterday, but perhaps more notably now that he’s doing it against the left-handed Rodríguez.

First pitch at 8:40 p.m. CT on Bally Sports Wisconsin and the Brewers Radio Network.