The Twins beat the Brewers in the first game of this weekend’s series in a wild game, one in which Milwaukee took an early four-run lead but couldn’t hold on to it. Tonight, they’ll look to even the series, though the on-paper pitching matchup favors the Twins: Robert Gasser will take the mound for the Brewers, while Taj Bradley will be his opponent.
Gasser is working on a string of solid outings. He’s given up three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight outings, excepting only the stinker in the team’s
last game before the All-Star break. Throw that one out, and in the other seven outings he’s got a 2.41 ERA in 41 innings going back to June 16th. Even with the bad one, Gasser has a 3.68 ERA and 3.41 FIP over what basically amounts to the last two months.
His opponent is no slouch, though, and with Joe Ryan on the injured list, Bradley slots in as Minnesota’s de facto ace. In 22 starts covering 126 2/3 innings this season, Bradley has pitched to a solid 3.69 ERA (114 ERA+) and 3.91 FIP, and while his walks are higher than you’d like (3.8 per nine), he’s striking out 10 batters per nine innings this season. Bradley, who was traded straight up for Griffin Jax at last year’s trade deadline, seems to be finding his own with the Twins in his age-25 season.
Speaking of pitching, the Brewers made a logical but still somewhat surprising move today: after pitching well in six outings for the Brewers, including three really good innings last night, Bryse Wilson has been designated for assignment. Recalled in his place is right-hander Lyon Richardson, who has made 41 mostly sub-par appearances for the Reds over the last four seasons (most of which came in 2025, when he had a 4.54 ERA in 34 outings). Richardson was designated for assignment by the Reds in early June and joined Triple-A Nashville; in 13 outings there since his acquisition, Richardson has a 4.20 ERA, 8.4 K/9, and a troubling 5.4 BB/9 in 30 innings.
It’s tough on Wilson, who did as well as one could’ve asked for in his short reunion with the Brewers. At this point, it’s a numbers game: the Brewers need fresh arms somewhat desperately during this run of 17 straight days with a baseball game, and Wilson is the sort of journeyman that is deemed expendable in a situation like this (the Brewers were already the third team he’d pitched for in 2026 alone). It should also be said that, for the most part, Wilson’s stats in every stop he’s made except for Milwaukee have been quite bad, so it does seem like the Brewers understand that whatever they’ve been getting from him has been at least partially aided by luck and/or good fortune.
Note also in that transaction: Sal Frelick is on his way to Nashville for a rehab assignment. Things are going to get a bit crowded when he returns, and Luis Lara’s good play has complicated things. It will be interesting to see what ends up happening, but Brandon Lockridge may find himself on the outside looking in.
BCB readers, rejoice! Joey Ortiz is starting at third base against a right-handed pitcher after David Hamilton had started five in a row at the hot corner against righties (Ortiz started the first of those five at shortstop). It is, of course, somewhat amusing that this is when Hamilton goes to the pine, given that he actually had a good game last night. (The Brewers say they have a plan with Ortiz, honest.) Andrew Vaughn also gets a start against the right-hander tonight, with Jake Bauers back in right field and Christian Yelich again playing DH; down in the seven spot tonight, this will officially be the lowest Yelich has started in the batting order since 2015.
First pitch tonight is at 6:10 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
