<\/p>\n
The potential for severe weather temporarily halted some early momentum generated by the Milwaukee Brewers. <\/p>\n
Looking to continue their hot start, the Brewers will begin a three-game set against the host Kansas City Royals with a split doubleheader on Saturday. <\/p>\n
Milwaukee entered Friday tied with a major-league-high 45 runs while winning five of its first six games. In addition, the Brewers lead the majors with 15 stolen bases and have homered in all but one contest. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a really good team, and when we play like that, it\u2019s going to be really hard to beat us,\u201d said Brewers star Brice Turang, who is 9-for-22 with five RBIs and six runs in 2026. <\/p>\n
Milwaukee, though, had to wait to carry that offensive potency onto the road after Friday\u2019s originally scheduled series opener was postponed due to a threat of inclement weather. <\/p>\n
In Saturday\u2019s first game, Milwaukee will face scheduled Kansas City starter Luinder Avila, who was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to make a spot start Friday in place of Michael Wacha (illness). Avila, a promising right-hander, went 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA in 13 games out of the Royals\u2019 bullpen last season. He did not face the Brewers.<\/p>\n
Milwaukee will counter with Chad Patrick (0-0, 2.08 ERA), who allowed a homer, four other hits and one walk in 4 1\/3 innings of last Saturday\u2019s 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The right-hander yielded three hits and three walks over 4 2\/3 scoreless innings during a 5-0 win over the Royals on April 1, 2025. <\/p>\n
Kansas City dropped the first two games of the season at Atlanta, then won three straight contests before falling short of a home series sweep of Minnesota with Thursday\u2019s 5-1 loss. The Royals have 23 runs through the first six games, but 13 came in one game against the Twins. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe just got to keep fighting from the offensive side,\u201d said Kansas City first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who has four RBIs despite going 4-for-20 on the season.<\/p>\n
After struggling to a 7.51 ERA in his final nine starts of the 2025, scheduled Royals Game 2 starter Seth Lugo (1-0, 0.00) delivered a stellar 2026 debut. The 36-year-old right-hander allowed five hits without a walk over 6 1\/3 scoreless innings in Kansas City\u2019s 4-1 win over Atlanta on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Lugo) was painting, and we know he can do that. It was really nice to it,\u201d Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. <\/p>\n
Lugo has a 4.35 ERA in two starts vs. Milwaukee, with the most recent outing coming in May 2024. <\/p>\n
Brandon Sproat (0-0, 21.00 ERA), scheduled to start the Saturday night game for Milwaukee, will look to bounce back from a rough debut when he yielded seven runs, six hits \u2014 including three homers \u2014 and four walks over just three innings of his team\u2019s 9-7 win over the White Sox on Sunday. <\/p>\n
He has yet to face the Royals in his career.<\/p>\n
Turang is just 1-for-5 vs. Lugo. Teammate Christian Yelich, batting .381 through the first six games, has four hits in 17 at-bats against Lugo, but two left the park. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. is batting .314 with two homers in nine games vs. Milwaukee. <\/p>\n
\u2013Field Level Media<\/p>\n