Brewers at Giants
O/U 7.5 · RL Brewers -1.5
Brewers ML-116
CONF 61%
LLostFinal 3-16
The read
**Gary's Take**
Last game of the series out in San Francisco, and on paper this looks backwards: the best team in the National League is starting a lefty who just got called up from the minors this morning, while the last-place Giants have their best pitcher on the mound. That should even things out. But when you actually look at it, it doesn't.
Logan Webb has eaten a lot of innings this year, but he hasn't been dominant — his go-to pitch is getting hit hard lately, and lefty hitters have given him trouble all season. Milwaukee is loading the lineup with left-handed bats today, led by Brice Turang, who's swinging a hot bat and has always hit Webb well. And this Brewers offense doesn't need home runs to score — they work long at-bats, put the ball in play, and run the bases hard, which plays great in a big ballpark like this one. The Giants, on the other hand, are missing a bunch of their regular hitters, they've barely been scoring for a week and a half, and they're forced to stack lefty bats even against a lefty pitcher because they're out of options. Devers has struggled badly against lefties all year, and Heliot Ramos, their one right-handed power threat, is ice cold and chasing bad pitches.
The late innings are what really decide this one. Milwaukee's new starter just has to keep it close and hand it off to a rested, nasty back of the bullpen, and they've got an off day tomorrow so the manager can use everybody. San Francisco's bullpen is gassed — their long guys got worn out in last night's loss, and once you get past their one reliable arm, it gets ugly. Webb will probably keep it close for six innings, but close against this Brewers team, with these two bullpens, usually ends one way. I'm taking the much better team at a fair price. Brewers to win the game.
The full analysis
Getaway day by the Bay, and the rubber match sets up strange: the club with the best record in the National League hands the ball to Thomas Pannone, a lefty called up from Nashville this morning for his first big-league start of the season, while the last-place Giants counter with their ace. On paper that's the great equalizer. Look closer and it isn't.
Logan Webb has been a workhorse this year, not a stopper — a 3.98 ERA earned honestly, but the sinker he leans on most is getting squared up, and his soft spot all season has been left-handed bats. Milwaukee runs six lefty looks at him today, starting with Brice Turang, who is hitting everything in sight and is 4-for-9 lifetime against Webb. This Brewers offense doesn't try to out-slug you; it grinds — deep counts, balls in play, pressure on the bases — and that style travels into a big ballpark far better than the home-run kind. The Giants, meanwhile, are down Chapman, Schmitt, Bader and Bericoto, scoring under four runs a game over their last ten, and even against a southpaw they have to stack five left-handed bats because the cupboard is bare. Devers has been an easy out against lefties all year, and Heliot Ramos, the one right-handed thumper, is 3 for his last 26 and expanding the zone.
The real separator is the late innings. Pannone only has to hand a close game to a rested Megill and Uribe, Pat Murphy has fresh bulk arms behind his spot starter, and Milwaukee wakes up to an off day tomorrow. San Francisco's pen is the opposite story — Brubaker emptied the tank with three innings last night, Foley worked hard in that same loss, and behind Erik Miller the leverage options get ugly fast. Webb probably keeps this close for six, but close-for-six against this Brewers team, with these two bullpens, usually ends one way. I'll take the far better club at a short price. Brewers moneyline, -116.
Props on this game
3Brice TurangOVER 1.5 Total Bases Total Bases+125
WActual 2
Turang is the hottest bat on either side of this game — 10 for his last 22 with a three-hit night in this same park yesterday — and Webb happens to be the one Giants arm he's always squared up: 4 for 9 lifetime with extra bases in there. The matchup fits, too.
Webb leans on his sinker nearly a third of the time, and the sinker is the pitch Turang slugs over .500 against this year. Webb's dominance lives on the righty side of the plate; left-handed hitters get him for about 90 points more of average, and everything Turang has done this season — .298, 14 homers — has come with a righty on the mound.
I need two bags from a red-hot leadoff man who's cleared this number in more than half his games over the last month, and the book is paying me plus money for it. That's a bet.
Logan WebbOVER 18.5 Pitcher Outs Pitcher Outs+145
LActual 18
Nineteen-plus outs in six of Webb's last eight starts, and the last three read 18, 20, 21. Now look at the spot. San Francisco's bullpen had to cover more than five innings last night after Roupp lasted eleven outs — Brubaker emptied the tank with 57 pitches, Foley threw 33 — and there's a flight to San Diego right after this one with no off day.
Webb is the horse this staff rides on days like this; he's gone 95-plus pitches in 11 of his 18 starts for a reason. And the lineup he's facing got softer overnight: Contreras and Vaughn are both on the bench for the day game. A ground-ball pitcher in the biggest yard in the league, in afternoon marine air, against a B-version lineup, with a manager who needs length — and I'm getting plus money on a number that sits right at his season average.
The market priced the pitcher and forgot the situation.
Rafael DeversOVER 0.5 Home Runs Home Runs+550
LActual 0
Devers is the one bat on this Giants roster still doing damage right now — two homers and seven driven in over his last week, and it isn't cheap contact. He's been squaring balls up consistently, averaging north of 94 off the bat with real hard contact mixed in, the kind of quality that turns into balls landing in the bay, not warning-track outs.
I'll say the honest part: he's been a different hitter against lefties all year, nowhere near as dangerous as he is against right-handers, and Pannone throws left-handed tonight. That's the one thing keeping me from going bigger here. But Pannone is a complete question mark himself, a rookie just recalled to make a spot start with nothing on his track record against this lineup — I'm not going to treat an unknown arm like a proven weapon against Devers just because of which side he throws from. And for as much as this park keeps the ball in the yard, Devers has actually gone deep here more often than he has on the road this year, so I'm not letting the ballpark's reputation talk me out of what he's actually done in it.
Plus money on a hitter this locked in, with the swing decisions and contact to back it up — I'll take that price.
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