Brewers’ pitcher Paolo Espino has spent the majority of his professional baseball career in the Midwest, he just hasn’t spent much of it in Milwaukee.
The 30-year-old right-hander has 11 seasons of professional service time, but none of it came in Cincinnati, Chicago or Cleveland, either.
If Espino’s name rings a bell, congratulations. You’re either a devout fan of the Akron RubberDucks, a long-time admirer of the Columbus Clippers, or your fantasy team needs an emergency starter and you noted Espino is starting against a struggling Giants’ offense on Thursday.
The Panamanian pitcher will make his second career big league start against San Francisco after being recalled from AAA Colorado Springs Thursday morning.
The Giants expected to face veteran righty Matt Garza, but the Brewers placed Garza on the 10-day disabled list after a Saturday collision with first baseman Jesus Aguilar.
In four career starts against San Francisco, Garza has compiled a 4.15 earned run average, but with the way Giants’ hitters have swung the bats against Milwaukee’s regular starters the past two nights, perhaps it’s best the team sees a fresh face.
Espino has spent much of his career shuttling along I-71 in Ohio between Akron and Columbus, as he spent seven seasons in the Indians’ organization before becoming a popular face in Syracuse and Harrisburg, the homes of Washington Nationals’ minor league affiliates over the past few seasons.
Based on Espino’s numbers at the AAA level, it’s surprising he never received a shot to contribute earlier in his career, as he’s posted a 3.59 earned run average in parts of eight seasons with Columbus, Syracuse and now the Brewers’ AAA affiliate, Colorado Springs.
Nevertheless, Espino made his big league debut earlier this season, when Milwaukee Opening Day starter Junior Guerra went down with an injury. Espino’s outing was rather pedestrian, as he logged four innings and gave up two runs on 71 pitches in the Brewers’ May 19 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
On Thursday, Espino will take the ball against a Giants team that is sitting catcher Buster Posey and right fielder Hunter Pence, and starting rookie Austin Slater and career .195 hitter Gorkys Hernandez.
After Wednesday’s ballgame, manager Bruce Bochy reportedly called the Giants’ left field situation a “black hole.” Following an 0-for-3 effort at the plate and a subpar performance in the field from rookie left fielder Orlando Calixte, Slater will make his second career start at the position against Espino.
San Francisco will counter Espino by turning to right-hander Johnny Cueto, who will take the ball after allowing three runs over six innings of work against the Phillies in the Giants’ loss on Saturday.
Despite the ups and downs Cueto has encountered this season, he’s logged at least six innings in eight consecutive starts and eaten innings even when he hasn’t been armed with his best stuff.
Brewers’ left fielder Ryan Braun is the only Milwaukee player with extensive experience against Cueto, but Braun remains on the disabled list with a left calf strain.
Pregame notes
- Giants’ pitching prospect Tyler Beede threw seven innings of four-run ball in the Sacramento River Cats’ 6-5 loss to the Fresno Grizzlies on Wednesday evening. The River Cats entered the ninth inning with a 5-4 lead, but reliever Kyle Crick surrendered the late advantage and blew a save opportunity. Bruce Bochy reportedly spoke highly of both Beede and Crick on Wednesday, and indicated Crick could be in line for a big league promotion at some point this season.
- The Giants have lost 11 of their past 15 games, including four of the six games they’ve played on their current road trip to fall a season-high 14.0 games back in the National League West.
- San Francisco left six runners on base against Milwaukee on Wednesday night, failing to capitalize with runners in scoring position and less than two outs in the first, second and sixth innings. The Giants are now hitting .242 with runners in scoring position this season, the fourth-lowest mark in the league.
