The Milwaukee Brewers are set to host the Atlanta Braves for a pair of (oddly timed) games this weekend before taking them on in MLB’s Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Sunday night. The Brewers are in possession of the best record in baseball, will be looking for their 80th win of the season this weekend. On the other side, the Braves sit atop the NL East with the third-best record in the National League, behind only Milwaukee and the Dodgers.
After Cooper Pratt returned this
week, the lone position player left on Milwaukee’s IL is outfielder Sal Frelick, who could be back this weekend. On the pitching side, the Brewers are without relievers Abner Uribe (late August), JoJo Romero (late August), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Joel Kuhnel (late August), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). Starters Quinn Priester and Brandon Woodruff are also out for the year.
Atlanta is without pitchers Spencer Schwellenbach (September at earliest), Robert Suarez (TBD), Spencer Strider (TBD), Hurston Waldrep (TBD), Reynaldo López (late August), Joe Jiménez (September), and Joey Wentz (out for season). They currently have no position players on the IL.
Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang, and Joey Ortiz have led the Brewer offense over the last few weeks. Bauers leads the team with 22 homers, while Ortiz is now hitting .252/.317/.381 for the season after an absolutely dismal first two months. Mitchell is hitting .261/.356/.421, and Turang is hitting .262/.356/.439 with 16 homers. Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn have also been consistent pieces offensively, with William Contreras, Gary Sánchez, Christian Yelich, David Hamilton, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, and Jonathan Ornelas all in the mix. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .253/.337/.397 (.734 OPS ranks seventh), with 642 runs (fourth), 119 homers (last), and 129 steals (third).
Matt Olson and Wisconsin native Drake Baldwin lead the Atlanta offense, as Olson has slugged 36 homers and 31 doubles, and Baldwin has 21 homers as he’s hitting .272/.354/.449. Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Mauricio Dubón, Dominic Smith, Lane Thomas, and Mike Yastrzemski are among the other regulars on offense. Ha-Seong Kim, Jim Jarvis, and Sean Murphy round things out. As a team, the Braves are hitting .246/.310/.413 (.723 OPS ranks 14th), with 608 runs (seventh), 167 homers (tied for fourth), and 62 steals (25th).
Aaron Ashby leads the Milwaukee bullpen with 59 appearances (71 innings) this year, with Trevor Megill closing things out, as he has a 2.39 ERA and 23 saves. With Uribe injured, Chad Patrick and DL Hall have also worked as high-leverage arms, with Antonio Senzatela, Bryse Wilson, and Grant Anderson rounding things out. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.46 team ERA (second), including a 3.53 starter ERA (fourth) and a 3.37 bullpen ERA (third). They’ve struck out 1,245 batters (second) over 1,144 1/3 innings.
Dylan Lee has anchored the Braves bullpen with a team-high 60 appearances, pitching to a strong 2.02 ERA over 58 frames. Raisel Iglesias has a 3.09 ERA and leads the squad with 26 saves, while Didier Fuentes (2.60 ERA over 55 1/3 IP), Dylan Dodd (2.27 ERA over 39 2/3 IP), and former Brewer favorite Brent Suter (2.25 ERA over 8 IP since being acquired at the deadline) also figure prominently. Ray Kerr (0.00 ERA over 2 1/3 IP) and Victor Mederos (3.68 ERA over 22 IP) round things out. As a staff, the Braves have a 3.64 team ERA (fifth), including a 3.75 starter ERA (seventh) and a 3.49 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 1,092 batters (11th) over 1,137 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, August 21 @ 3:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (12-5, 1.75 ERA, 2.14 FIP) vs. LHP Chris Sale (12-8, 2.16 ERA, 2.30 FIP)
Miz will go head-to-head with yet another ace in Friday’s series opener, as he gets the start opposite Chris Sale. The big right-hander is 12-5 this season and remains atop the majors in ERA (1.75), FIP (2.14), strikeouts (210), and WHIP (0.748). He turned in six solid frames to pick up the win over the Dodgers in his last outing, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts. Misiorowski took a loss against the Braves back in June, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk, striking out seven across six innings.
Sale, 37, is in his 16th MLB season and third with the Braves, and he’s still just as dominant as ever. After winning the NL Cy Young with Atlanta in 2024, he’s been arguably even better this year, with a 2.16 ERA, 2.30 FIP, and 160 strikeouts across 129 innings. He took a tough loss in his last outing against the D-backs, allowing just one run on five hits and no walks while striking out nine as Atlanta lost 2-0. Sale has made six career starts against Milwaukee, with a 2-0 record, 1.62 ERA, and 52 strikeouts over 39 innings. That includes 5 2/3 innings back in June, when he allowed a pair of unearned runs and struck out seven.
Saturday, August 22 @ 1:10 p.m.: RHP Logan Henderson (7-2, 2.70 ERA, 3.39 FIP) vs. LHP Martín Pérez (8-7, 3.15 ERA, 4.15 FIP)
Henderson continues to impress as a major leaguer. His ERA is down to 2.70 to go along with a 3.39 FIP and 75 strikeouts across 63 1/3 innings, and he was fantastic in his last outing against the Dodgers. He went a career-high seven frames on a career-high 93 pitches, allowing one run on three hits and a walk, striking out six. This marks Henderson’s first career start against Atlanta.
Pérez, 35, is another long-time lefty veteran, as he’s in his 15th season with his seventh team. He’s made 24 appearances (20 starts) for Atlanta this year, with an 8-7 record, 3.15 ERA, 4.15 FIP, and 83 strikeouts over 111 1/3 innings. Pérez got roughed up a bit against the Twins in his last outing, allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out three over five frames. Pérez has made six career appearances (five starts) against Milwaukee, with a 1-3 record, 7.24 ERA, and 21 strikeouts over 32 1/3 innings, though that lone victory came this year, as he went six frames with one run allowed and five strikeouts.
Sunday, August 23 @ 6:10 p.m. (MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, PA): LHP Shane Drohan (6-4, 3.86 ERA, 3.36 FIP) vs. RHP Tyler Mahle (4-10, 4.53 ERA, 4.13 FIP)
Drohan will get the start for the Brewers in Sunday’s showcase, and it’s been a solid year for the left-hander. Across 25 appearances (14 starts), Drohan is 6-4 with a 3.86 ERA, 3.36 FIP, and 99 strikeouts over 100 1/3 innings. He went 5 1/3 innings in his last start against the Dodgers, allowing three runs and striking out five in a no-decision. His last appearance, though, came from the bullpen, as he tossed two scoreless innings with one strikeout in Milwaukee’s 22-0 blowout win over the Mariners on Tuesday night. This marks Drohan’s first career appearance against Atlanta.
Mahle, 31, was acquired by the Braves at the trade deadline in a deal with the Giants. Another veteran, Mahle is in his 10th season with his fifth team. While he had a 5.13 ERA and 4.36 FIP with the Giants across 18 starts, he’s been great with Atlanta, pitching to a 1.45 ERA, 2.93 FIP, and 19 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings in three starts this month. A familiar opponent for Milwaukee, Mahle has made 10 career starts against the Brewers, with a 2-3 record, 4.73 ERA, and 66 strikeouts across 51 1/3 innings. He dominated the Crew in his second-to-last start with the Giants in late July, though, pitching six scoreless innings with three strikeouts as he allowed just three hits and two walks to earn the win.
How to Watch & Listen
Friday, August 14: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, August 15: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, August 16 (MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, PA): Nationally televised on ESPN/ESPN App; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
This will be a fun series between two of baseball’s best teams, capped off with a showdown in Williamsport on Sunday. Give me the Crew to win two of three.
