Teddy Higuera is the only pitcher in the history of the Milwaukee Brewers to start a season without allowing an earned run in three straight starts. Chase Anderson is an unlikely candidate to become the second.
The Brewers look to win for a third time with Anderson on the mound as they try to snap the Minnesota Twins' winning streak Monday night.
Anderson tossed five scoreless innings in a 6-4 win over Houston in his Brewers debut April 8. He was tagged for three runs - all unearned - in the first inning Wednesday, but he followed up with five scoreless before getting a no-decision in a 6-4 win at St. Louis.
That's a major improvement after he was hammered for 19 runs and five homers in 14 2-3 innings over five starts during spring training.
He's already joined Earl Stephenson (1972) as the only pitchers to not allow an earned run in his first two starts with the Brewers. However, Anderson has a chance to match Higuera's 1990 record of no earned runs against through the first three starts of a season.
"I know in spring training he was working on some stuff, and now you see it (coming to) fruition," catcher Jonathan Lucroy told MLB's official website. "You've got a guy who can pretty much throw any pitch in any count, any time he wants. When you have a guy like that, you're going to have a long night (as a hitter)."
The Brewers (5-7) have had plenty of those themselves, batting .213 and averaging 3.3 runs, and their 114 strikeouts trail only San Diego's 128 for the most in the NL.
Lucroy is 2 for 15 in four games after hitting .346 during a season-opening seven-game hitting streak. He's a .349 hitter in 11 career games at Minnesota.
He had one of the Brewers' six singles in Sunday's 9-3 loss at Pittsburgh.
Ryan Braun is expected to be back after getting Sunday off. He could be used as the designated hitter, and he's 10 for 20 with two homers, three doubles and five RBIs over the last six meetings with the Twins.
The Twins (3-9) enter this four-game, two-city series after beating the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 in 12 innings Sunday to sweep the three-game set.
Ten-year veteran Phil Hughes (0-2, 4.38) takes the ball opposite the Brewers for the first time.
The right-hander lost his first four starts last year and could use some help from the offense to avoid moving closer to matching that. He's only been backed by two runs through two starts, and he got none while allowing three and striking out seven in 6 1-3 innings of a 3-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
Oswaldo Arcia is 5 for 9 with one homer and three RBIs over the last two games after going 0 for 8 in his first three games. The left fielder, who hit 20 homers in 2014, is trying to prove he belongs in the majors after spending nearly all of last year in the minors.
"I guess I have to keep reminding myself that that lad is still 24," general manager Terry Ryan said. "It seems like he's 34, he's been around so long. But he's 24 years old and I've got to remember that and make sure everybody else remembers that as well."
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