The Milwaukee Brewers are headed to Atlanta as they’ll wrap up their six-game road trip through the NL East against the Atlanta Braves. The Brewers are still red-hot, as they’ve won three straight and six of their last seven to remain atop the NL Central and MLB standings, two games up on the Cubs for the best record.
The Braves, on the other hand, have struggled all season, sitting at 47-63 and in fourth place in the NL East, 15 games behind the Phillies and Mets. They are coming off a series victory
over the Reds, including a win in the MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.
Milwaukee’s notable injuries grew by three players over the weekend, as Jacob Misiorowski (tibia contusion) and Jackson Chourio (hamstring strain) both headed to the injured list. Sal Frelick is also considered day to day with left knee soreness after exiting Saturday’s win over the Nationals. Beyond those three, Rhys Hoskins (thumb sprain), Rob Zastryzny (rib stress reaction), Robert Gasser (Tommy John surgery), and Jake Bauers (shoulder impingement) are also shelved, with Bauers and Gasser likely the closest to returning in mid-to-late August.
For Atlanta, third baseman Austin Riley is the latest injury, as he exited Sunday’s series finale with the Reds after stretching to tag out Elly De La Cruz. The team characterized it as an abdominal injury, something that he’d already dealt with (and went on the IL for) earlier this season. Ronald Acuña Jr. is out until late August with a calf strain, while basically the entire pitching staff (Grant Holmes, Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Shawver, Reynaldo López, and Joe Jiménez) is also out.
Without Chourio, the Brewers’ offense is led by Christian Yelich (21 HRs, 73 RBIs, 61 Rs, 15 SBs), William Contreras (nine homers, 47 RBIs, 20 doubles), and Andrew Vaughn (six homers, 24 RBIs, and 13 runs in 19 games with Milwaukee). Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz, Isaac Collins, Caleb Durbin, Blake Perkins, and even recent acquisition Brandon Lockridge were also key to Milwaukee’s offensive-powered sweep of Washington. As a team, the Brewers are now hitting .257/.330/.397 (.727 OPS ranks 12th) with 111 homers (22nd), 555 runs (fifth), and 124 steals (second).
Despite Atlanta’s struggles this year, they still feature a lineup with some dangerous names. Matt Olson leads the team with 18 homers and 27 doubles, hitting .260/.360/.452 this year. Catcher Sean Murphy has 16 homers, while Marcell Ozuna has added 15 homers. Wisconsin native Drake Baldwin will be in the talk for NL Rookie of the Year, as he’s hitting .282/.350/.465 with 11 homers, 41 RBIs, and 26 runs in 79 games this year. Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris, Eli White, Jurickson Profar, and Nick Allen also feature prominently for the Braves. As a team, the Braves are hitting .243/.318/.389 (.707 OPS ranks 20th) with 119 homers (tied for 17th), 461 runs (tied for 24th), and 51 steals (28th).
Milwaukee’s bullpen has become more consistent as the season has progressed, with Jared Koenig, Abner Uribe, Grant Anderson, Nick Mears, Trevor Megill, Aaron Ashby, and DL Hall basically the core group of arms. Uribe and Koenig lead the team with 52 appearances each, while Uribe also leads in ERA (2.06) and strikeouts (61). Megill has 24 saves in 27 opportunities. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.66 team ERA (fourth), including a 3.38 starter ERA (second) and a 4.01 reliever ERA (16th). They’ve struck out 960 batters (eighth) over 987 1⁄3 innings.
Dylan Lee leads Atlanta’s bullpen with 52 appearances, sporting a 3.10 ERA and 53 strikeouts across 49 1⁄3 innings. Raisel Iglesias has had plenty of struggles, with a 4.63 ERA and 14 saves in 19 opportunities. Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer, Daysbel Hernández, Tyler Kinley, and Dylan Dodd round out the bullpen arms, with only Johnson (2.41 ERA) and Hernández (2.32 ERA) having much success. As a staff, the Braves have a 4.21 team ERA (21st), including a 4.21 starter ERA (19th) and a 4.21 reliever ERA (20th). They’ve struck out 988 batters (tied for fifth) over 972 2⁄3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Monday, August 4 @ 6:15 p.m.: Quinn Priester (3.27 ERA, 3.93 FIP) vs. Erick Fedde (5.33 ERA, 5.13 FIP)
Priester continues to impress in his time with the Brewers, as he’s now pitched more innings with Milwaukee (107 1⁄3 innings) than the rest of his MLB career combined (99 2⁄3 innings between 2023 and 2024 with Pittsburgh and Boston). He also has the best numbers of his career, with a 3.27 ERA, 3.93 FIP, and 89 strikeouts. He’s won each of his last four decisions, including his last start in which he went 5 2⁄3 innings with two runs allowed and three strikeouts against the Cubs. In two career starts against Atlanta, he has a 4.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts over 10 innings, including seven strikeouts and one run allowed over six frames in a start against them back in June.
Fedde, who came over from the White Sox to the Cardinals at last year’s trade deadline before being DFA’d by St. Louis and traded for future considerations, struggled in 20 starts for the Cards this year, with a 5.22 ERA and 5.10 FIP. He’s made one start with Atlanta since coming over to the Braves, going 4 2⁄3 innings with four runs allowed and three strikeouts against the Royals in a 9-6 loss. He’s made eight career appearances (seven starts) against the Brewers in his career, with a 2-4 record, 5.77 ERA, and 30 strikeouts over 39 innings. In two starts while with the Cardinals this year, he allowed 10 runs and struck out nine over 11 innings, losing both decisions.
Tuesday, August 5 @ 6:15 p.m.: Freddy Peralta (3.08 ERA, 3.81 FIP) vs. Joey Wentz (5.02 ERA, 4.28 FIP)
Peralta still leads the league with 12 wins this year, a number that also matches his career-high total from 2023, when he went 12-10. The two-time All-Star got roughed up by the Cubs in his last outing, allowing five runs on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts across four innings in a 10-3 loss. He’ll look to bounce back against Atlanta, a team he has made eight career appearances (seven starts) against, with a 4.58 ERA, 4-2 record, and 47 strikeouts across 39 1⁄3 innings.
Wentz, who has spent the bulk of his career as a reliever (107 appearances, 29 starts), is on his third team of 2025 after previously playing for the Pirates and Twins. He’s served primarily as a starter with Atlanta, allowing four runs (three earned) across 18 innings (1.50 ERA) with 21 strikeouts in four appearances (three starts). He went 6 2⁄3 scoreless frames in his last start against the Royals, allowing just one hit and three walks with seven strikeouts in a game the Braves would ultimately lose 1-0 in 10 innings. Wentz has made four career appearances (no starts) against Milwaukee, including one with both the Pirates and Twins this year. In those outings, he’s allowed four runs and struck out four across five innings (7.20 ERA), though all four of those runs came in June while with the Twins.
Wednesday, August 6 @ 6:15 p.m.: Jose Quintana (3.50 ERA, 4.84 FIP) vs. Carlos Carrasco (5.68 ERA, 5.21 FIP)
Quintana has filled what was an early-season hole in Milwaukee’s rotation, appearing in 16 games with a 3.50 ERA, 4.84 FIP, and 59 strikeouts across 87 1⁄3 innings this year. He was solid in a blowout win for the Brewers on Friday in Washington, allowing two runs on six hits and a pair of walks with four strikeouts across five frames to earn his eighth win of the year. In 10 career starts against Atlanta, he’s 3-6 with a 6.62 ERA and 39 strikeouts across 50 1⁄3 innings. That includes two starts last year while with the Mets, when he allowed seven runs over 10 1⁄3 innings to go 1-1.
Carrasco, amazingly in his 16th MLB season, was a recent addition after being DFA’d and traded for cash considerations from the Yankees. He has a 5.68 ERA, 5.21 FIP, and 30 strikeouts over 38 innings this season. In his lone start with the Braves, which came on Thursday, he went six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts against the Reds. He’s made seven career appearances (six starts) against Milwaukee, with a 5.00 ERA and 44 strikeouts over 36 innings. That includes a two-inning relief outing with the Yankees earlier this season, when he allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
How to Watch
Monday, August 4: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Tuesday, August 5: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, FOX 6 in Milwaukee, and other local over-the-air stations across Wisconsin (see more details here), and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Wednesday, August 6: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, nationally on FS1, and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
The Braves’ pitching staff is completely decimated, and the offense hasn’t been great either, even with all of the big names present on the roster. I’ll take the Brewers to sweep as they have the advantage in just about every facet here.
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