The Milwaukee Brewers are headed to Arlington as they’ll take on the Texas Rangers for three games beginning Monday evening. The Crew is fresh off a sweep of the Pirates in Pittsburgh, lowering their postseason magic number to three while moving their magic numbers for the NL Central and MLB’s No. 1 seed to 12 and 13, respectively. The Rangers, meanwhile, have clawed their way back into playoff contention, as they sit 1.5 games behind the Mariners for the final AL Wild Card spot and just four games behind the Astros
for the AL West lead with a 74-70 record.
The Brewers have a whole bunch of players on the IL, with most expected to return in the next few weeks. Rhys Hoskins could be back any day now, Trevor Megill is targeting a return next week, Christian Yelich (who isn’t currently on the IL) has missed the last five games but could return for this series, Grant Anderson could rejoin the team for this series, DL Hall is targeting a late September return, and Nick Mears is eligible to return as soon as September 17. Logan Henderson is hoping to make it back for the postseason (though it’s unclear if there will be a roster spot for him), while Shelby Miller is out for the rest of the year and 2026 (and may be facing retirement) with another Tommy John surgery.
The Rangers are without pitchers Josh Sborz (out for season), Danny Coulombe (return TBD), Jon Gray (out for season), Tyler Mahle (early September), Nathan Eovaldi (out for season), and Cody Bradford (out for season). Position player injuries include Corey Seager (out for season), Evan Carter (out for season), Marcus Semien (out for season), Sam Haggerty (early September), and Adolis García (late September), leaving them without, arguably, four of their top five bats down the stretch.
Yelich leads Milwaukee’s offense with 27 homers and 92 RBIs, while Jackson Chourio is second on the team with 19 HRs. William Contreras and Brice Turang have also been key since the All-Star break, while Caleb Durbin, Sal Frelick, Isaac Collins, Andrew Vaughn, Joey Ortiz, and Andruw Monasterio have also been valuable. Even Jake Bauers got in on the action over the weekend in Pittsburgh. Blake Perkins, Danny Jansen, and Anthony Seigler round out the offense for the Crew. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .260/.333/.408 (.741 OPS ranks 10th) with 154 homers (19th), 736 runs (second), and 149 steals (second).
Wyatt Langford leads the Rangers with 21 homers this season, adding 24 doubles, 59 RBIs, 69 runs, and 18 steals. Jake Burger is second among active players with 14 homers, while Josh Jung adds 13 homers, and the catching duo of Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka has 10 homers apiece. Former Brewer Rowdy Tellez, Ezequiel Duran, Josh Smith, Joc Pederson, Dylan Moore, Cody Freeman, Michael Helman, Alejandro Osuna, and Dustin Harris round out the active roster for Texas. As a team, the Rangers are hitting .237/.305/.387 (.692 OPS ranks 27th) with 159 homers (tied for 17th), 614 runs (20th), and 122 steals (sixth).
Abner Uribe continues to set the pace for Milwaukee’s bullpen, with a 1.84 ERA and 81 strikeouts across 68 1/3 innings this season. Jared Koenig has also been solid, with a 3.26 ERA and 58 strikeouts over 65 appearances (58 innings). With Mears, Anderson, Megill, Miller, and Hall all on the IL, the rest of the bullpen features Aaron Ashby (who has been great with a 2.30 ERA over 54 2/3 innings), Rob Zastryzny, Tobias Myers, Craig Yoho, Erick Fedde, Joel Payamps, and Carlos Rodriguez. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.59 team ERA (second), including a 3.42 starter ERA (second) and a 3.81 reliever ERA (10th). They’ve struck out 1,264 batters (sixth) over 1,282 2/3 innings.
Former Brewer Hoby Milner leads Texas’ bullpen with 64 appearances, with a 3.55 ERA and 54 strikeouts across 63 1/3 innings. Robert Garcia and Shawn Armstrong lead the team in saves, with nine and seven, respectively. Former Cardinal Phil Maton hasn’t been great since being acquired at the deadline, with a 4.80 ERA over 15 innings, though he’s still struck out 23. Luis Curvelo, Jacob Webb, Chris Martin, Cole Winn, and former Brewer Caleb Boushley round out the ‘pen. As a staff, the Rangers have a 3.46 team ERA (first), including a 3.32 starter ERA (first) and a 3.72 reliever ERA (ninth). They’ve struck out 1,196 batters (tied for 15th) over 1,281 1/3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Monday, September 8 @ 7:05 p.m.: Jose Quintana (3.72 ERA, 4.86 FIP) vs. Jacob Latz (3.15 ERA, 3.82 FIP)
Quintana continues to do what Quintana does, not striking out many but also keeping runs off the board as he’s relied heavily on the Brewers’ solid defense and his ability to escape jams. Across 22 starts this season, Quintana is 11-5 with a 3.72 ERA, 4.86 FIP, and just 83 strikeouts over 121 innings, a strikeout rate that would rank as the lowest since his rookie season in 2012. He went 6 1/3 innings in a victory over the Phillies in his last outing, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks with six strikeouts. In 11 career appearances (nine starts) against Texas, Quintana is 2-2 with a 3.40 ERA and 48 strikeouts across 55 2/3 innings.
Latz, 29, is in his fourth MLB season with the Rangers, spending his time between the rotation and the bullpen after working exclusively from the bullpen in 2024. Across 68 2/3 innings over 28 appearances (five starts) this year, Latz is 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA, 3.82 FIP, and 62 strikeouts. He went 5 1/3 innings in his last outing against the D-backs, allowing two runs on five hits and a pair of walks with one strikeout in a no-decision. He pitched twice in relief against Milwaukee last season, allowing four runs (three earned) while recording just two outs as he took the loss in both games.
Tuesday, September 9 @ 7:05 p.m.: TBD vs. Jack Leiter (3.74 ERA, 4.14 FIP)
The Brewers have not officially announced a starter for Tuesday night’s game in Texas, though speculation from Adam McCalvy makes it clear that this spot likely belongs to Chad Patrick, who is currently with Triple-A Nashville. Patrick, who has made 21 MLB appearances (20 starts) with a 3.60 ERA, 3.69 FIP, and 106 strikeouts across 105 innings this season, last started on Thursday with Nashville, allowing two runs and striking out seven over just 3 2/3 innings, tossing 71 pitches in a 5-1 loss. This would mark his first career appearance against Texas.
Leiter, 25, from the widely spreading baseball Leiter family, is a former No. 2 overall pick by the Rangers. After making nine appearances (six starts) with some disappointing numbers a year ago, he’s been much better in his first full MLB season. Across 25 starts, Leiter has a 3.74 ERA, 4.14 FIP, and 126 strikeouts across 127 2/3 innings. He went six innings in his last start against the D-backs, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks with eight strikeouts. This would mark his first career appearance against Milwaukee.
Thursday, September 10 @ 1:35 p.m.: Freddy Peralta (2.50 ERA, 3.56 FIP) vs. Merrill Kelly (3.16 ERA, 3.77 FIP)
Peralta continues to shine for Milwaukee, as he’s making a case for at least some NL Cy Young votes, although it’s clearly Paul Skenes’ award to lose. Through 29 starts this season, Peralta is 16-5 with a 2.50 ERA, 3.56 FIP, and 176 strikeouts over 158 2/3 innings, meaning he’s just 24 strikeouts shy of reaching 200 for the third consecutive season. The two-time All-Star hasn’t allowed a run in over a month, earning NL Pitcher of the Month honors for August and starting September in much the same way with five shutout innings against the Phillies, scattering two hits and three walks with eight strikeouts. In three career appearances (two starts) against Texas, Peralta is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 11 1/3 innings.
Kelly, 36, was acquired by the Rangers at this year’s trade deadline after spending parts of seven seasons with the D-backs. He’s been great since joining Texas, making seven starts with a 2.98 ERA and 35 strikeouts over 42 1/3 innings after turning in a 3.22 ERA and 121 strikeouts over 128 2/3 innings with Arizona. He went seven innings against the Astros in his last outing, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in an extra-innings victory. He’s made nine career starts against Milwaukee, with a 2.77 ERA and 54 strikeouts across 55 1/3 innings.
How to Watch
Monday, September 8: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Tuesday, September 9: 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, September 10: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, MLB Network (out-of-market viewers), and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
The Rangers are fighting for their season, as they’re right on the cusp of an AL Wild Card spot with only three weeks to go in the season. Still, I’ll take the Crew to win two of three in Arlington.
