José Álvarez vs. Corbin Burnes
The San Francisco Giants are back at Oracle Park tonight to welcome the Milwaukee Brewers for the start of a four game series. It is just going to be a week of playoff previews, apparently, with the Dodgers coming to town after that. Let’s hope these series go a little bit better than this weekend’s.
Unfortunately, it’s off to a bit of a rough start. Shortly before tonight’s game, with Johnny Cueto scheduled to take the mound, the Giants announced that Cueto and Alex Wood were headed to the IL. Wood tested positive for COVID-19 and is symptomatic. Cueto tested negative, but is still under the weather.
The Giants called up pitcher John Brebbia and Jason Vosler, who gets the start at second base tonight. And starting what is essentially now a bullpen game will be José Álvarez. Álvarez has appeared in 50 games this season, pitching 51 innings in which he has a 2.12 ERA, 3.05 FIP, with 34 strikeouts to 12 walks. Álvarez has not allowed a run (earned or otherwise) since his July 9th appearance against the Washington Nationals.
He’ll have his work cut out for him, facing off against Corbin Burnes, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.30 ERA, 1.64 FIP, with 180 strikeouts to 26 walks in 133 innings pitched. Burnes is coming off of a bit of a rough start against the Cincinnati Reds, where he allowed seven hits, four runs, three walks and struck out five in six innings of work. Burnes’ last start against the Giants was on August 6th, where he led the Brewers to a 2-1 victory, allowing only four hits and one run in seven innings.
Burnes is one of the best pitchers in the game right now, leading the league in strikeouts per nine innings, fewest home runs allowed per nine innings, FIP and his strikeout to walk ratio. So I would expect this to be a low scoring affair.
Lineup notes: Kris Bryant is back in the lineup tonight, but Tommy LaStella was another late scratch. Vosler will get the start instead.
Lineups
Giants
- LaMonte Wade, Jr., RF
- Buster Posey, C
- Brandon Belt, 1B
- Kris Bryant, 3B
- Brandon Crawford, SS
- Mike Yastrzemski, FG
- Alex Dickerson, LF
- Jason Vosler, 2B
- José Álvarez, LHP
Brewers
- Kolten Wong, 2B
- Christian Yelich, LF
- Avisaíl García, RF
- Omar Narváez, C
- Rowdy Tellez
- Luis Urías, SS
- Jace Peterson, 3B
- Jackie Bradley, Jr., CF
- Corbin Burnes, RHP
Who: San Francisco Giants (84-46) vs. Milawukee Brewers (79-52)
Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California
When: 6:45 p.m. PT
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area (available on fuboTV)
National broadcast: MLB TV Free game of the day with MLB Gameday
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM