After two consecutive series on the road, the Brewers are back home at American Family Field this weekend. Milwaukee went 4-4 over the eight-game road trip, taking two of three from the Cincinnati Reds and two of five from the Chicago Cubs. This weekend’s opponent is the San Francisco Giants, who have gone just 9-22 since the All-Star break. For more on how the Brewers stack up against the Giants, check out Harrison’s season preview here.
Jose Quintana is slated to start tonight’s game for Milwaukee.
The veteran southpaw isn’t going to blow anybody away, but he’s been a dependable back-of-the-rotation option all year. Quintana has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last five starts and has maintained a great ERA (3.32) all season — although his FIP (4.59) is significantly higher. Quintana’s last outing against the Giants was back in April, when he held them to one run through six innings in a game the Brewers won.
San Francisco’s starter is Carson Whisenhunt, their No. 7 prospect. This will only be Whisenhunt’s fourth career major league start. The 24-year-old left-hander has pitched to a 4.37 ERA through nineteen starts in Triple-A.
Brice Turang, who has been one of the best hitters in the National League this month, is leading off today. Since the calendar turned to August, Turang leads the NL in slugging percentage (.789) and is tied for the lead in home runs (8) and extra-base hits (14). He’s followed by William Contreras, Christian Yelich, and Andrew Vaughn. Sal Frelick is in the fifth spot in the order, with Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins behind him. Brandon Lockridge is hitting eighth and playing center field.
Andruw Monasterio, who is hitting ninth, gets the start at shortstop today in place of Joey Ortiz. Ortiz was placed on the IL earlier today with a strained left hamstring. Per Brewers manager Pat Murphy, Ortiz’s IL stint is not expected to be a “prolonged one.” With that being said, I would expect the Brewers to be somewhat conservative with his timeline, especially if Monasterio is playing well in his stead. Milwaukee needs Ortiz healthy for the playoffs, and hamstrings are notoriously fickle. Replacing Ortiz on the roster is 1B/LF Jake Bauers, who was reinstated from the IL in a corresponding move.
In other hamstring strain news, Jackson Chourio has been sent to Triple-A Nashville to begin a rehab assignment. Chourio suffered his strain legging out a triple against the Cubs on July 29th. Assuming no setbacks, he should be back up to bolster the big league roster relatively soon.
Today’s game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CT.
