Brandon Sproat Still Chasing That First Win, and the Brewers Need Him to Find It Now

The Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres both walked into Monday off the kind of Sunday that makes you believe in something. Now they're about to collide in a three-game series that starts Tuesday, and the momentum from those dramatic finishes could define where this thing goes.

Let's talk about what went down. San Diego rallied past St. Louis 3-2 when Nick Castellanos crushed a game-tying two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, then Manny Machado brought it home with a sacrifice fly in the 10th. Meanwhile, Milwaukee absolutely finished off the Yankees 4-3 on a Brice Turang walk-off homer in the ninth with two outs, sweeping the series and moving to six games over .500 for the first time this season.

Sproat's Still Looking for His First Win, But Murphy Sees Something Growing

Here's the matchup: Brandon Sproat gets the ball for Milwaukee against San Diego's Matt Waldron. Sproat is 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA. This will be his sixth start and eighth appearance this season. He came up last September with the Mets, starting four times and finishing 0-2, so the kid knows what it feels like to struggle early.

But his last time out? He was sharp. Sproat allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings at St. Louis, struck out five, but walked three in a 76-pitch outing and didn't get a decision in a 6-2 win. Brewers manager Pat Murphy sees the light bulb coming on.

"He made some big pitches in some big times and had way too many three-ball counts," Murphy said. "I think he's learning stuff. He's learning, 'I can do it. I'm good enough. I don't have to be sharp.'"

The walks are still a problem, though. Sproat has walked 18 hitters in 30 2/3 innings. Murphy and the Brewers need him to tighten that up and start capitalizing on these moments where he's throwing strikes.

Waldron's Got Redemption on His Mind After That Brutal April

Waldron comes in at 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA, though this last appearance should give him some confidence. He pitched out of relief last time, following an opener, and allowed one run on two hits over five innings with seven strikeouts in a 5-1 win over the Giants. That's the kind of outing you build on.

"I think the preparation was a little bit different," Waldron said. "But the second you're out there, the goal is the same: go as deep as you can."

April was ugly for him. He gave up 15 runs in 13 2/3 innings across three starts, including six runs in each of his first two outings. Coming off that relief appearance, he's had a chance to reset.

Both Teams Are Limping Offensively, But They're Getting It Done

Here's what's wild about San Diego: they salvaged a split against the Cardinals despite putting together just 14 hits in a four-game series. That's the fewest hits the Padres have managed in any four-game series in franchise history. Manny Machado basically shrugged it off after Sunday's win.

"We're not hitting," Machado said. "It's obvious. But we're getting things done. At the end of the day, it's about winning ballgames, and we're doing that."

That's the kind of grit that wins in May. The Brewers, meanwhile, are leaning on Aaron Ashby in the bullpen. He's absolutely electric right now, sitting at a 0.64 ERA over his last 11 appearances with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks in 14 innings. He picked up his major-league-leading seventh win Saturday despite allowing an unearned run in the 10th inning before the Brewers rallied to win 4

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.