The Milwaukee Brewers are headed home for the first time since the All-Star break, as they’ll welcome the Marlins and Cubs to close out July.
Milwaukee, fresh off an 11-game win streak, went 5-1 on their latest road trip, bouncing back after Tuesday’s loss to beat the Mariners 10-2 on Wednesday afternoon. They’re currently 61-41 this season, good for the best record in baseball and one game up on the Cubs in the NL Central.
The Marlins have had an up-and-down season, as they’ve gone 4-2 since the break
with series wins over the Royals and Padres at home. They’re 48-53 on the year, 6.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot and 10 games behind the Mets in the NL East.
The Brewers’ injured list includes Sal Frelick, who is aiming to return on Friday, along with Nestor Cortes (early August return), Jake Bauers (mid-August), Rhys Hoskins (mid- to late August), Rob Zastryzny (late July), and Robert Gasser (late August). J.B. Bukauskas, Garrett Mitchell, and Connor Thomas are all out for the season.
Miami’s injured list includes Derek Hill (middle finger sprain), Connor Norby (wrist surgery), Jesus Tinoco (forearm strain), Max Meyer (hip impingement), Ryan Weathers (lat strain), Andrew Nardi (back inflammation), Braxton Garrett (UCL surgery), and Griffin Conine (shoulder surgery).
Christian Yelich’s 19 homers continue to set the pace for Milwaukee, with Jackson Chourio looking at another 20-20 season as he has 16 homers and 18 steals over 101 games. The power hasn’t been there for most of the rest of the team, but the speed is. Sal Frelick, Joey Ortiz, Isaac Collins, William Contreras, Brice Turang, Caleb Durbin, Andrew Vaughn, and Tyler Black have all been key to Milwaukee’s recent success. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .250/.324/.383 (.707 OPS tied for 18th), with 96 homers (25th), 489 runs (seventh), and 117 steals (third).
Kyle Stowers, an All-Star this year, leads Miami’s offense with 22 homers and 61 RBIs as he’s hitting .295/.373/.566. Agustín Ramírez is in the conversation for NL Rookie of the Year, hitting .244/.287/.459 with 14 homers, 45 RBIs, and 43 runs this year. Xavier Edwards and Dane Myers don’t bring much power, but they’ve combined for 31 steals this season. Otto Lopez, Jesús Sánchez, Eric Wagaman, and Liam Hicks are also everyday players for Miami. As a team, the Marlins are hitting .253/.315/.292 (.707 OPS tied for 18th), with 92 homers (26th), 431 runs (tied for 20th), and 76 steals (tied for 12th).
The Brewers’ “winning” bullpen has been one of the best in baseball, as Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig, Grant Anderson, Nick Mears, and closer Trevor Megill have all been solid. Aaron Ashby and DL Hall have also been great since returning from injury, while Tobias Myers and Easton McGee round out the bullpen. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.58 team ERA (fifth), including a 3.34 starter ERA (second) and a 3.90 bullpen ERA (16th). They’ve struck out 882 batters (eighth) over 906 1⁄3 innings.
The Marlins’ bullpen features Ronny Henriquez, Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher, Lake Bachar, Cade Gibson, Tyler Phillips, Josh Simpson, and Valente Bellozo. Faucher leads the team with nine saves, though Henriquez (six), Bender (three), and Bachar (one) have also saved games. As a staff, the Marlins have a 4.48 team ERA (24th), including a 4.87 starter ERA (27th) and a 4.00 reliever ERA (18th). They’ve struck out 791 batters (24th) over 900 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, July 25 @ 3:10 p.m.: Freddy Peralta (2.85 ERA, 3.66 FIP) vs. Cal Quantrill (5.24 ERA, 4.23 FIP)
Peralta has already accumulated the second-highest bWAR mark (3.3) of his career through 21 starts, just trailing his 3.7 mark from 2021 (which took 27 starts (28 appearances) to reach). He leads the majors with 12 wins, including a win in each of his last seven outings dating back to June 13. His last start against the Dodgers wasn’t a pretty one, as he allowed four runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts across five frames, but he managed to get the win as the Brewers held on for an 8-7 victory. He didn’t start against the Marlins a few weeks ago, but he’s made 10 appearances (seven starts) against them for his career, with a 4.31 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 39 2⁄3 innings.
Quantrill has made 19 starts for the Marlins this season, with minimal success. He has a 5.24 ERA, 4.23 FIP, and 70 strikeouts over 87 2⁄3 innings this year, and his 3-8 record would be the worst win percentage of his seven-year career. He allowed two runs on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts over 3 2⁄3 innings against the Brewers on July 5, and he went six scoreless innings with three strikeouts in his last start against Kansas City. For his career, he’s made three appearances (two starts) against Milwaukee, with a 3.86 ERA and nine strikeouts over 9 1⁄3 innings.
Saturday, July 26 @ 6:10 p.m.: Jose Quintana (3.49 ERA, 4.51 FIP) vs. Janson Junk (3.09 ERA, 2.30 FIP)
Through 14 starts this season, Quintana sports a 3.49 ERA, 4.51 FIP, and 53 strikeouts across 77 1⁄3 innings. Each of his last two starts came against the Dodgers, as he allowed five runs on six hits and four walks with nine strikeouts over 12 innings across the two outings. While he missed the Marlins in early July, he’s made four career starts against Miami, with a 3-1 record, a 2.42 ERA, and 18 strikeouts across 26 innings.
Junk, who made seven appearances (15 1⁄3 innings) for the Brewers between 2023 and 2024, has had the best season of his career with Miami thus far. Through 11 outings (six starts), he boasts a 3.09 ERA, 2.30 FIP, and 39 strikeouts over 55 1⁄3 innings pitched. He had his worst outing in a while in his last start against the Royals, as he allowed six runs (four earned) over five innings with just one strikeout. This will mark his first career appearance against Milwaukee.
Sunday, July 27 @ 1:10 p.m.: Brandon Woodruff (1.65 ERA, 2.85 FIP) vs. Eury Pérez (3.23 ERA, 2.78 FIP)
Woodruff has made three starts since returning earlier this month, as he has a sterling 1.65 ERA, 2.85 FIP, and 23 strikeouts over 16 1⁄3 innings. He’s been great in all three starts, including his season debut against the Marlins on July 6. In that game, he went six innings and allowed one run on two hits and no walks with eight strikeouts on just 70 pitches. His last start came against the Mariners, when he went six innings with no runs allowed on two hits and five strikeouts on 62 pitches. He’s 4-0 in his five career starts against Miami, with a 2.53 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 32 innings.
Pérez, who has made eight starts since returning from Tommy John surgery earlier this year, has a 3.23 ERA, 2.78 FIP, and 40 strikeouts over 39 innings. He took a tough-luck loss in his last outing against the Padres, as he allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts over five innings. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last four starts. He made one start against Milwaukee back in 2023, allowing three runs and striking out seven over 4 2⁄3 innings.
How to Watch
Friday, July 25: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, MLB Network (out-of-market viewers), and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Saturday, July 26: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Sunday, July 27: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, Telemundo Wisconsin, and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
This is an exciting weekend home series, with a 25th anniversary celebration of American Family Field (*Miller Park), an alumni home run derby, and a bobblehead game. Let’s hope the Crew can continue to feed off that energy. I’ll take the Brewers to sweep.
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