Brewers look to Brandon Woodruff, try to avoid sweep by Marlins

The Milwaukee Brewers will look for veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff to continue his remarkable comeback on Sunday afternoon as they try to avoid being swept by the visiting Miami Marlins.

Woodruff (2-0, 1.65 ERA), making his fourth start after missing all of 2024 following shoulder surgery, will oppose right-hander Eury Perez (3-3, 3.23), who is coming back from elbow surgery.

Miami clinched the three-game series with a 7-4 victory on Saturday behind home runs from Heriberto Hernandez, Dane Myers and Agustin Ramirez, the Marlins' fourth straight win and their eighth victory in their last 10 games.

By winning the first two games against the Brewers, the Marlins are 9-2-1 over their last 12 series. Milwaukee had won five straight series and eight of its previous nine. With Saturday's loss, the Brewers dropped into a first-place tie with the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.

"You have to play well every night to beat a major league team, and Milwaukee's having a terrific season," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said following Saturday's win. "I think our guys have just moved past who we're playing and just try to focus on what it takes that day to go out and win a game."

Perez, activated off the injured list in early June, missed all of 2024 following Tommy John surgery and will make his ninth start of the season. After going 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA in four starts in June, Perez is 3-1 with a 1.17 ERA in four starts this month, allowing just three runs in 23 innings with 26 strikeouts and three walks.

Perez allowed two runs in five innings in his last start but was saddled with the loss in a 2-1 defeat against the San Diego Padres on Monday.

Ramirez's home run on Saturday was his 15th in 79 games, the second-fastest Marlin to reach 15 homers as a rookie behind Giancarlo Stanton, who did it in 71 games in 2010.

Woodruff, activated off the injured list on July 6, tossed six scoreless innings his last time out, allowing two hits to get the victory in a 6-0 win at Seattle on Monday.

Woodruff has not walked a batter in 16 1/3 innings in his three starts while striking out 23. Opponents are batting just .155 against him.

"Honestly, it's a different spot for me this year," Woodruff said following his last start. "My main goal this year is to be healthy and I'm trying to do everything I can to just go win today. I think that's a good mentality to have."

Woodruff is 4-0 with a 2.53 ERA in five career starts vs. Miami, including a 3-1 win on July 6 in his first start, allowing one run on two hits in six innings of a 3-1 victory.

Jackson Chourio extended his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games Saturday with a single in the fourth inning. Over that span, he is hitting .387 with four homers, five doubles and 16 RBI.

Sal Frelick, activated earlier off the IL (left hamstring) before Saturday's game, had a single in four at-bats. Christian Yelich was hitless in four at-bats, snapping his 30-game on-base streak.

--Field Level Media