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Brewers face Giants after bolstering lineup acquiring Moustakas (Jul 28, 2018)
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Milwaukee Brewers will once again follow up a win by bringing in reinforcements when they continue a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.
The Brewers announced after Friday's 3-1 win that they acquired third baseman Mike Moustakas from the Kansas City Royals for two minor-leaguers.
Milwaukee also made a trade Thursday, then had reliever Joakim Soria on hand for Friday's game, during which he contributed three outs to a three-inning shutout stint by the Brewers' bullpen in the narrow win.
Soria was acquired from the Chicago White Sox.
Moustakas, who has hit 20 home runs, 21 doubles and 62 RBIs this season, is expected to take over at third base for the Brewers, with Travis Shaw moving to second base.
Shaw, a former high school shortstop, has never played second base in his major league career.
The addition comes immediately following a pitchers' duel in which Milwaukee's Chase Anderson got the better of San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner.
The Brewers will send right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (9-3, 3.58) to the mound Saturday to face Giants righty Johnny Cueto (3-1, 2.76).
Cueto was briefly a teammate of Moustakas in Kansas City. They've dueled just seven times over the years, with Moustakas getting the better of Cueto, going 4-for-6 with two doubles, a home run and a walk.
Cueto has pitched well against the Brewers in his career, going 11-3 with a 2.74 ERA in 21 starts.
No matter what he does, chances are he'll need more offensive support than the Giants gave Bumgarner during his eight innings of work in Friday's loss.
"We're getting some great pitching," noted Giants manager Bruce Bochy, referring to Dereck Rodriguez who allowed just two runs in six innings in a 7-5 loss in the series opener. "It's up to this offense to get going. We're missing the big hit. Nothing's changing until we do."
Cueto hasn't won in three starts since a two-month stint on the disabled list with elbow issues. He's been roughed up for 12 runs and 22 hits in 17 innings in those three starts.
The veteran will have to deal not only with a team that's won four of five but also with one of the hottest hitters in the National League, Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich, who contributed two doubles to Friday's win.
Yelich has hit safely in 11 straight games.
Chacin, meanwhile, has pitched brilliantly in July. He's gone 3-0 in four starts, three times giving up three of fewer hits.
He's enjoyed more than his fair share of success in San Francisco, going 4-1 with a 2.02 ERA in eight starts, including 2-0 in three starts last season during which he struck out 16 in 17 innings.
He's 8-7 in his career against the Giants with a 3.22 ERA in 21 games, including 20 starts.
One Giant who has had success against Chacin is Pablo Sandoval, who has hit three home runs in 35 at-bats.
Sandoval played first base Friday night in the absence of injured Brandon Belt. He went 0-for-4.
