(SportsNetwork.com) - Wily Peralta will try to become the newest member of the 16-win club when he leads the Milwaukee Brewers into Friday's opener of a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.
Peralta is 15-8 with a 3.56 earned run average and has a 6-2 mark in his last eight decisions. However, Peralta has dropped two of his last three starts and was touched for eight runs -- seven earned -- in five innings of a 10-2 drubbing at the hands of Pittsburgh on Saturday.
The right-hander hadn't been beaten that badly since giving up nine runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-7 loss to Philadelphia on July 8. Peralta has made 12 road starts this season, going 7-3, and is 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in three career starts against the Giants. Peralta defeated San Francisco on Aug. 7, when he permitted just one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings of a 3-1 victory.
Milwaukee could use a strong outing from Peralta and has lost five of its last seven games. It dropped two of three meetings with the San Diego Padres to open a nine-game road trip and suffered a tough 3-2 loss in 10 innings on Wednesday. Padres catcher Rene Rivera homered off Francisco Rodriguez to tie the game in the ninth and delivered the game-winning single in the 10th.
Zach Duke surrendered Rivera's big hit in extra innings to take the loss. Yovani Gallardo tossed six shutout innings for the NL Central-leading Brewers, who are 1 1/2 games ahead of St. Louis in the division.
"We go into the ninth with a one-run lead and we felt good about it," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, who was ejected in the ninth for arguing balls and strikes. "I'm tired of seeing the catcher set up away from the plate and strikes are being called. I should have been kicked out probably in the second inning today."
The Brewers will also visit the Chicago Cubs and are 37-29 on the road.
San Francisco won three of four meetings with Colorado and posted the series win with Thursday's 4-1 victory behind Yusmeiro Petit's six innings of one-run ball and nine strikeouts. Petit did not walk a batter and allowed four hits. He also retired his 46th consecutive batter, breaking Mark Buehrle's 2009 Major League record of 45 consecutive batters retired.
Petit tied the National League record for consecutive batters retired of 41 with a 1-2-3 first inning.
"I'm very happy to be able to establish this new record," said Petit. "At the beginning, I didn't know about it, but in Washington I learned I had a streak going, and I tried to focus and do everything possible."
Santiago Casilla walked the leadoff batter in the ninth inning but retired the next three he faced to earn his 12th save of the year.
Gregor Blanco homered and Angel Pagan recorded three hits for the Giants, winners of three straight and six of nine games. The Giants currently sit in the second wild card spot in the National League and are 4 1/2 games behind Los Angeles for the NL West lead.
Ryan Vogelsong will start for the Giants Friday and is 7-9 with a 3.78 earned run average. He previously toed the rubber in a 14-6 loss at Washington on Sunday and did not record a decision, as he gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings. Vogelsong is only 2-6 in 13 home starts this season.
The right-hander has faced Milwaukee 13 times (8 starts) in his career and is 3-3 with a 5.48 ERA.
Milwaukee won two of three meetings with San Francisco earlier this month at Miller Park. Vogelsong recorded the lone win for the Giants on Aug. 6 with six innings of one-run ball in a 7-4 triumph.
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