Justin Verlander will be on the mound for the Astros, with Brandon Woodruff getting the start for Milwaukee, whom is 8-1 with a 3.87 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, 20 walks and 90 strikeouts over 74.1 innings of work this season. Woodruff is 2-0 with a 5.00 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, three walks and 25 strikeouts over 18 innings in his last three starts. Woodruff got off to a hot start this year because he faced some weak lineups, but has since been predictably collapsing. Over his past two starts he’s given up 14 hits and nine earned runs....
The Astros started uncharacteristically slowly, but have been on fire ever since. Over their past 35 games they’ve gone 27-8, and they’re looking a lot like the team that won the World Series in 2017. Verlander might be 36 now, but he’s still one of the best pitchers in the game. He enters this one with a 2.31 ERA, he comes in 9-2 with a 2.31 ERA, a 0.737 WHIP, 19 walks and 110 strikeouts over 93.2 innings of work on the year, and the Astros are 8-2 in his last ten home starts. He is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA, a 0.72 WHIP, seven walks and 20 strikeouts over 16.2 innings in two career starts against the Brewers.... Verlander is probably better at Minute Maid Park where he sports a 2.00 ERA over 36 innings pitched with a 0.64 WHIP which is just nuts. The Astros might be hurting but their lefty bats like Brantley and Josh Reddick is healthy and Woodruff has real trouble with left-handed bats this season....
