Dominican right-hander Wily Peralta aims for a second win in his fifth August start on Friday night when the Milwaukee Brewers host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the opener of a three-game series at Miller Park.
The 24-year-old improved to 8-11 on the season with a 3-1 defeat of the San Francisco Giants in his first start of the month on Aug. 6, but has since gone 0-2 in three subsequent starts - all Milwaukee losses.
He dropped decisions at Seattle and home to the Reds, then got a no- decision at Cincinnati while combining to give up 10 runs on 19 hits in 17 1/3 innings of work.
He's been erratic at best on home turf this season, winning four of 11 decisions in 13 starts while posting a 5.17 earned run average.
His last win at Miller Park was July 9 against the Reds, when he tossed the full nine innings, allowed three hits, walked four and struck out six.
Peralta has never faced the Angels.
For Los Angeles, righty Jered Weaver can make it two straight wins after a two-start skid ended in his last outing.
The 30-year-old had dropped consecutive decisions to the New York Yankees and Cleveland on Aug. 14 and 19 while being tagged for 13 runs on 17 hits in just 11 innings of work.
He bounced back for his eighth win of the season on Aug. 25 in Seattle, scattering three hits and a run over eight innings of a 7-1 triumph over the Mariners.
Weaver, a 20-game winner last season, has never faced the Brewers in 226 major league outings.
On Thursday at Tampa Bay, Jason Vargas turned in a stellar performance with seven scoreless innings and the Angels posted a series victory over the Rays with a 2-0 win.
Vargas (8-5) didn't give the Rays much to work with, as the left-hander struck out seven and scattered just two hits and three walks in leading the Angels to their second victory in the three-game set at Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay had runners on second and third with one out in the ninth, but Angels closer Ernesto Frieri came out of the jam unscathed and posted his 28th save.
Luis Jimenez, recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake prior to the game, and Kole Calhoun each drove in a run to account for the game's only offense.
In Pittsburgh, Yovani Gallardo tossed seven scoreless innings to help the Brewers take two of three from the Pirates with a 4-0 win at PNC Park.
Gallardo (10-9) needed 93 pitches to get through his start of six-hit ball. The right-hander also struck out five to improve to 11-4 lifetime against the Pirates.
Scooter Gennett had three hits and scored a run, while Aramis Ramirez went deep for the second time this series. Carlos Gomez added two hits and Jonathan Lucroy drove in a pair.
The Angels won five of their first nine games with the Brewers after Milwaukee moved to the National League. The Brewers, however, won two of three when they last met, in Anaheim, in 2010.
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