The Milwaukee Brewers are back on the road, as they’ll take a tour of the NL East to take on the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.
First up is the Nationals, who Milwaukee swept just prior to the All-Star break. Washington sits at 44-64 this season, 17.5 games back in the NL East and 16 games ahead of the Rockies for the worst record in the NL. Their -110 run differential also ranks 28th in the majors, ahead of only the A’s and Rockies. Despite that, they’ve played .500 baseball since the break,
winning two of three against the Reds & Twins, and dropping two of three to the Padres and Astros.
The Brewers, at 64-44, sit atop the NL Central standings, one game up on the rival Cubs for the best record in baseball.
Jackson Chourio sits atop Milwaukee’s injury news, as he exited Tuesday’s win over the Cubs with hamstring cramping. He’s currently considered day to day. Rhys Hoskins is now looking at a September return, Jake Bauers could be back in mid-August, and pitchers Rob Zastryzny, Nestor Cortes, and Robert Gasser could all return in the coming weeks.
For Washington, catcher Keibert Ruiz is working his way back from a concussion, while pitcher Josiah Gray has a return listed as “second half 2025” after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July. Outfielder Dylan Crews is rehabbing an oblique injury and is expected to return in August.
Christian Yelich and Chourio are both on the verge of 20-20 seasons, as Yelich has 20 homers and 15 steals, while Chourio has 17 homers and 18 steals. William Contreras hit a pair of homers on Wednesday as he’s finally beginning to swing the bat a bit better, though he’s still hitting just .250/.348/.363 for the season. Sal Frelick, Isaac Collins, Brice Turang, Caleb Durbin, and new additions Andrew Vaughn and Danny Jansen also figure prominently for Milwaukee. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .251/.324/.387 (.711 OPS ranks 18th) with 104 homers (tied for 23rd), 517 runs (eighth), and 121 steals (tied for second).
James Wood is looking like a superstar for Washington, as he’s hitting .263/.365/.495 with 24 homers, 21 doubles, 71 RBIs, 61 runs, and 14 steals. CJ Abrams is hitting .275/.344/.473 with 14 homers and 26 steals, while Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell, Luis García, Riley Adams, Jacob Young, Daylen Lile, and Brady House round out the starters. As a team, the Nationals are hitting .244/.310/.387 (.697 OPS ranks 23rd) with 104 homers (tied for 23rd), 463 runs (19th), and 95 steals (sixth).
Jared Koenig and Abner Uribe are tied for the team lead with 51 appearances for Milwaukee, with Uribe’s 2.10 ERA and 61 strikeouts also leading the bullpen. Grant Anderson, Nick Mears, Trevor Megill, Aaron Ashby, and DL Hall join them in what has been a fairly strong bullpen since the team’s breakout in mid-May. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.63 team ERA (fifth), including a 3.39 starter ERA (second) and a 3.93 bullpen ERA (16th). They’ve struck out 937 batters (eighth) over 960 1⁄3 innings.
With the reported trade of closer Kyle Finnegan on Thursday, Washington’s bullpen consists of Jose Ferrer, Cole Henry, Jackson Rutledge, Konnor Pilkington, Andry Lara, and Zach Brzykcy. None of those players have been all that good, though Pilkington does have no earned runs and seven strikeouts across six innings since making his season debut right after the break. As a staff, the Nationals have a 5.13 team ERA (29th), including a 4.79 starter ERA (27th) and a 5.66 bullpen ERA (last). They’ve struck out 815 batters (26th) over 948 1⁄3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, August 1 @ 5:45 p.m.: Jose Quintana (3.50 ERA, 4.77 FIP) vs. Mitchell Parker (4.91 ERA, 4.46 FIP)
Quintana has been a serviceable part of Milwaukee’s rotation thus far, making 15 starts with a 3.50 ERA, 4.77 FIP, and 55 strikeouts across 82 1⁄3 innings. He took the loss against the Marlins on Saturday, allowing five runs (two earned) over five innings with a pair of strikeouts. In eight career starts against Washington — seven of which have come since 2022 — Quintana is 4-1 with a 1.91 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 47 innings.
Parker, 25, has made 21 starts in his second season with Washington, as he sports a 4.91 ERA, 4.46 FIP, and 74 strikeouts across 113 2⁄3 innings. The former fifth-round pick has won each of his last two starts, allowing four runs and striking out eight across 11 2⁄3 innings against the Twins and Padres. He’s made three starts against Milwaukee — including a start three weeks ago — with a 9.53 ERA and five strikeouts over 11 1⁄3 innings. He allowed seven runs in just 4 2⁄3 innings in a loss on July 11.
Saturday, August 2 @ 3:05 p.m.: Brandon Woodruff (2.01 ERA, 3.36 FIP) vs. Jake Irvin (4.69 ERA, 5.16 FIP)
Woodruff has now made four starts since returning from injury, spanning 22 1⁄3 innings with a 2.01 ERA, 3.36 FIP, and 29 strikeouts. He’s coming off a no-decision against the Marlins, when he allowed two runs and struck out six across six innings. He started against Washington back on July 12, allowing two runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts over 4 1⁄3 innings. Including that outing, Woodruff has made eight career appearances (six starts) against Washington with a 1.29 ERA and 55 strikeouts over 42 innings.
Irvin, in his third season with Washington, has not put things together quite yet in his career, as he has a 4.55 career ERA. He’s been even worse this season, with a 4.69 ERA, 5.16 FIP, and 86 strikeouts over 126 2⁄3 innings. He’s also allowed an NL-worst 23 homers this year. He did manage to go five innings against Milwaukee on July 13, allowing no earned runs (three unearned) with five strikeouts as he took a tough-luck loss, and he’s coming off the best start he’s had in a while against the Twins, allowing two runs and picking up the win across seven innings. For his career, he’s 0-4 with a 5.84 ERA and 20 strikeouts across 24 2⁄3 innings against Milwaukee.
Sunday, August 3 @ 12:35 p.m.: Jacob Misiorowski (2.70 ERA, 3.09 FIP) vs. Brad Lord (3.27 ERA, 3.47 FIP)
Through seven career starts, we’ve seen the best of Misiorowski, even if he does have the tendency to “overthrow” early in games. His last start against the Cubs started poorly but turned out to be alright, as he allowed three runs (two earned) with seven strikeouts on 80 pitches over four innings in an 8-4 win. This is his first career appearance against Washington.
Lord is another rookie who has had a solid start to his career, with a 3.27 ERA, 3.47 FIP, and 59 strikeouts over 74 1⁄3 innings through 37 appearances (eight starts). His last two appearances have come as a starter, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 9 1⁄3 innings against the Reds and Astros. He pitched against Milwaukee twice during their series earlier in July, allowing no runs and striking out two over 3 1⁄3 total innings.
How to Watch
Friday, August 1: Exclusively televised on Apple TV+; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Saturday, August 2: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Sunday, August 3: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
By the time you’re reading this article, there’s a decent chance the Nationals have gotten worse as they’re looking to be big sellers at the deadline. That being said, I think the Brewers have proven they can take care of business against bottom feeders, meaning anything short of a sweep may be considered a disappointment — I’ll take Milwaukee to finish the year 6-0 against Washington.
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