The beginning of a nine-game homestand was promising for the Milwaukee Brewers, but since then it has been tough sledding.
The Brewers aim to get back on track when they open a two-game series versus the Texas Rangers Tuesday at Miller Park.
Milwaukee took the first two meetings with Pittsburgh last week and has dropped five in a row to open the month of May. The club was swept in four games by St. Louis and suffered a 10-1 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. Marco Estrada was tagged for eight runs in only 3 1/3 innings to take the loss, while relief pitcher Alfredo Figaro drove in the only run.
Ryan Braun and Yuniesky Betancourt had two hits apiece for the Brewers.
"It was just a bad series." Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "We don't do it very often at home. They've been playing really good, we had two good games and two bad games. But when we're playing good baseball, and things are going well, we can play with anybody."
Wily Peralta takes the mound for Milwaukee on Tuesday and looks to get back in the win column. Peralta had won consecutive starts and was unbeaten in four trips to the hill until Thursday's 6-5 loss to St. Louis. He allowed all six runs and 11 hits over 4 1/3 innings in that one and fell to 2-2 in six starts to go along with a 6.00 ERA.
Peralta has never faced Texas and the right-hander is 1-2 in four home starts.
Meanwhile, the Rangers had a three-game winning streak cut short with Monday's 9-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were scheduled to host the Rangers for three straight games from April 16-18, but the middle contest of that set was postponed due to the forecast of heavy rain.
Geovany Soto was the lone offensive bright spot for the Rangers and went 2- for-4 with an RBI. Rangers starter Nick Tepesch was saddled with the loss for allowing six runs -- five earned -- and six hits in four innings. The Cubs took advantage of a five-run fourth inning.
"I just didn't really make a good pitch right there. That was basically it," Tepesch said after the loss.
Justin Grimm will try to make up for Tepesch's rough start when he takes the mound Tuesday in the continuation of a nine-game road trip. Grimm started the season 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts and tasted defeat for the first time on Thursday in a 3-1 setback to the White Sox. He allowed all three runs -- a season high -- and six hits in 6 2/3 innings for the loss.
Grimm, a right-hander, has lasted at least six innings in the past three starts and will face Milwaukee for the first time.
Texas won two of three games at Milwaukee back in 2010 and is 5-2 in the previous seven meetings between the ballclubs.
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