ANAHEIM, Calif. – For Wednesday night at least, the old Freddy Peralta was back.
Shrugging off his recent run string subpar starts, the right-hander tossed six shutout innings and made a minuscule early lead stand up as the Milwaukee Brewers blanked the Los Angeles Angels, 2-0, to win the teams’ interleague series at Angel Stadium.
The scoreless outing was just the second of the season for Peralta and his first since April 19.
"I thought Freddy was terrific," said manager Pat Murphy, whose team improved to 10-5 in games Peralta has started. "His focus was really good. He was consistent. And when his windup and his delivery are consistent, his pace is consistent, he doesn't let the outcome of the pitch or the play affect him.
"He carries all that on him. He expects this. He expects six shutout innings every time, and it's hard. This is major-league baseball. Guys know him and are gunning for him and getting up for him.
"Really proud of Freddy, the way he battled tonight."
BOX SCORE: Brewers 2, Angels 0
Bryan Hudson and Trevor Megill combined on the final three innings, and all told the Brewers' trio limited the Angels to four hits for the game.
The shutout was the team's fourth of the season and first since June 7 at Detroit.
Rhys Hoskins drove in Milwaukee’s first run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and Willy Adames provided a little more breathing room with a two-out, run-scoring single in the eighth.
No breathing room for Freddy Peralta
Staked to a tenuous 1-0 lead in the first, Peralta made it stand up as he leaned on his four-seamer (58%) that topped out at 97.3 mph and generated 10 of his 18 swings and misses through his six innings.
"He did have a lot of three-ball counts tonight, 3-2 counts," Murphy said. "But it's a step in the right direction. He's a guy that can potentially beat anybody when he's throwing the ball as good as he can."
Indeed, aside from maybe not being quite as efficient as he would have liked – he threw 101 pitches in all – Peralta didn't face any real trouble until his final frame when Luis Rengifo singled and was balked to second and then Kevin Pillar drew a two-out walk.
That brought the dangerous Logan O'Hoppe to the plate, and in the midst of his at-bat Peralta had Rengifo picked off second base only to throw the ball past a covering Willy Adames and into center field.
The runners advanced into scoring position but O'Hoppe ultimately grounded out to Brice Turang to fall to 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
"It was a great decision by us, doing that move right there," Peralta said. "It was perfect; I got him. But I slid on the mound and I felt a little bit stupid with myself because I knew I had the opportunity to finish the inning right there in a great way.
"But after that I just breathed a little bit and knowing the situation, I was trying to strike him out but he was putting very good swings on the fastball. Finally, I got the out and that's all that matters."
Peralta (5-4) scattered three hits and two walks while striking out eight after allowing a career-high 10 hits and season-high six runs his last time out in a loss against the Cincinnati Reds.
"I ask for too much sometimes of myself," Peralta said. "I put myself in a hard situation. My family tries to help me, because they know how hard I am on myself just in general. I just tried to relax a little bit this time.
"I'm working on it, and trying to be better. Trying to enjoy the game. Breathe, pitch and remember like when you were a little kid."
Big insurance run
Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson kept the Brewers offense under wraps following the first but departed after seven innings and 99 pitches. He allowed four hits, walked three and struck out five.
"I feel like I've been in the dugout with that guy pitching it seems like 105 times since college," Murphy said of the University of Oregon product. Murphy saw him often while he was coaching Arizona State University. and Anderson is certain to be a hot name come trade-deadline time next month.
"I respect him a great deal. He can really pitch. I'm not surprised when he does this type of thing.
His replacement, Luis García, retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth but then walked Christian Yelich. Yelich promptly stole second and then came in to score on a broken-bat blooper down the left-field line by Willy Adames that doubled Milwaukee's lead to 2-0.
"We did just enough," said Murphy. "Willy Adames had great at-bats all night, taking his walks when he had to, and Yeli with a great night again."
Early damage against a left-hander
Milwaukee's struggles against left-handed starters are well-known, but the team got out to a good start against Anderson as it loaded the bases with one out in the first thanks to a couple walks sandwiched around a William Contreras single.
Hoskins then drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. It was just the second RBI for Hoskins in the month of June.
Brewers time, TV, radio
The Brewers game starts at 8:38 p.m. Wednesday.
TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620 and a state network.
Brewers lineup
Joey Ortiz 3B
William Contreras DH
Christian Yelich LF
Willy Adames SS
Jake Bauers 1B
Sal Frelick CF
Gary Sánchez C
Jackson Chourio RF
Brice Turang 2B
Angels lineup
Nolan Schanuel 1B
Luis Rengifo 3B
Taylor Ward LF
Kevin Pillar RF
Logan O'Hoppe DH
Matt Thaiss C
Zach Neto SS
Mickey Moniak CF
Luis Guillorme 2B
Brewers schedule
Brewers at Padres, 8:40 p.m. Thursday: Milwaukee RHP Bryse Wilson (4-3, 3.84) vs. San Diego RHP Adam Mazur (0-2, 7.82). Broadcasts: TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.
Brewers at Padres, 8:40 p.m. Friday: Milwaukee RHP Colin Rea (6-2, 3.29) vs. San Diego RHP Dylan Cease (6-6, 3.95). Broadcasts: TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.
Brewers at Padres, 6:15 p.m. Saturday: Milwaukee RHP Carlos Rodriguez (0-2, 6.48) vs. San Diego RHP Randy Vásquez (1-4, 5.70). Broadcasts: TV – FOX. Radio – AM-620.
Brewers at Padres, 3:10 p.m. Sunday: Milwaukee RHP Tobias Myers (4-2, 3.26) vs. San Diego RHP Michael King (5-4, 3.49). Broadcasts: TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers 2, Angels 0: Freddy Peralta gets back on track as Milwaukee wins series
