FriarWatch: August 11 Edition
The San Diego Padres use some late-inning fireworks to take the opening game of the three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers. Jackson Merrill hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to give the Padres a 3-2 lead. Mason Miller recorded his National League-leading 30th save to preserve the victory.
Scoring late in games with a shutdown closer has been the perfect combination, as the Friars have won 13 of their last 17 games to get back in the Wild-Card chase.
Tonight’s
game offers another quality pitching matchup, Kyle Harrison vs Walker Buehler, as the Brewers bats must figure out how to be more productive in their at-bats. They must win this series to build momentum before facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in Chavez Ravine this upcoming weekend.
Taking the mound: Kyle Harrison (MIL) vs Walker Buehler (SD)
The Brewers will try to get back on their winning ways by sending Harrison (9-2, 2.84 ERA) to the mound. Finally, he unlocked his potential as a starting pitcher. Both the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox lost patience with Harrison because of his control issues in starts. The former prospect failed to throw strikes consistently.
The Brewers’ pitching development staff refined his delivery mechanics by adjusting his arm angle and moving Harrison from the third-base to the first-base side of the rubber. The results have been outstanding.
Immediately, he increased the velocity of his four-seam fastball from 92 MPH in past seasons to 95 MPH in 2026 starts. It has allowed him to work at the top of the strike zone. Opposing hitters are having trouble tracking his sweeper and changeup because of the vertical drop.
His revamped pitching style has allowed Harrison to get ahead in counts and record more quality starts than ever in his four-year major league career.
The Padres will counter with Walker Buehler (6-5, 5.07 ERA), who is battling to remain a consistent starter for the final two months of the 2026 season. He has failed to record a quality start since June. Buehler has averaged 4.2 innings over his last six starts.
No question, it has been a process for Buehler to transition from being a power pitcher to using his full repertoire in games. He has a seven-pitch mix (four-seam fastball, sinker, cutter, slider, changeup, sweeper, and knuckle-curve) that keeps hitters off balance.
The days of him earning a complete-game victory are over. But Buehler can get through the Brewers batting order twice before they figure out his pitch sequence. He must work the corners against such a potent lineup.
However, Buehler cannot challenge them with his fastball; it will be a losing proposition. The velocity has dropped, as teams are hitting .393 off his four-seamer.
The Friar Faithful can expect the bullpen to play a role in this evening’s game.
