The Milwaukee Brewers are set to visit Old Friend Willy Adames and the San Francisco Giants this week to begin a six-game West Coast road trip that will also take them to visit the Angels.
Milwaukee, at 66-39, sits atop the NL Central after a solid 7-2 homestand featuring series wins over the Marlins, Mets, and Rockies. On the other side, the Giants, at 44-61, sit just ahead of the Rockies near the bottom of the NL West. They’re 4-6 since the break, with series losses against the Mariners and Royals but a recent series win over the Angels.
The Brewers’ injured list includes pitchers DL Hall (close to returning), Kyle Harrison (close to returning), Joel Kuhnel (close to returning), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). Outfielder Brandon Lockridge is also on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville, while fellow outfielder Sal Frelick’s return is TBD as he was recently shut down from baseball activities.
San Francisco is without pitchers Trevor McDonald (TBD), Joel Peguero (August), Matt Gage (August or September), José Buttó (September or out for season), Hayden Birdsong (out for season), Randy Rodríguez (out for season), and Rowan Wick (out for season). Third baseman Matt Chapman could be back for this series after missing the entire month of July, while outfielders Harrison Bader, Jonah Cox, and Victor Bericoto are all shelved. Jung Hoo Lee is also considered day-to-day with elbow soreness.
Jake Bauers leads the Brewer offense with 18 homers, while Brice Turang and William Contreras have both reached the 100-hit threshold with 103 hits apiece. Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Cooper Pratt, Andrew Vaughn, and Joey Ortiz have also been key cogs in recent weeks, with Gary Sánchez, Christian Yelich, Luis Lara, David Hamilton, and Blake Perkins rounding things out. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .255/.337/.402 (.739 OPS ranks sixth), with 98 homers (tied for 29th), 535 runs (fifth), and 104 steals (tied for fourth).
Rafael Devers leads the Giants with 22 homers this season, with Casey Schmitt (21 homers) and Willy Adames (18 homers) right on his tail. Luis Arraez leads the Giants with 129 hits this year, as he’s slashing .327/.363/.451 and figures to be a trade chip at the deadline. Lee, Bryce Eldridge, Heliot Ramos, Drew Cavanaugh, and Drew Gilbert are also regulars offensively, with Daniel Susac, Jesus Rodriguez, Grant McCray, and Christian Koss serving as depth. As a team, the Giants are hitting .253/.308/.417 (.725 OPS ranks 15th), with 118 homers (tied for 19th), 436 runs (25th), and 40 steals (28th).
Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill lock things down at the backend of Milwaukee’s bullpen, with Aaron Ashby, Grant Anderson, and Chad Patrick also serving as valuable arms. Craig Yoho, Bryse Wilson, and Garrett Stallings round out the group as the “B” arms after Lance McCullers Jr. was DFA’d over the weekend. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.43 team ERA (second), including a 3.39 starter ERA (second) and a 3.47 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 1,027 batters (second) over 940 2/3 innings.
Caleb Kilian leads the Giants’ bullpen with 42 appearances and eight saves this year, though he’s blown three opportunities and has a 4.57 ERA. Erik Miller (2.97 ERA over 30 1/3 IP), JT Brubaker (2.74 ERA over 49 1/3 IP), Sam Hentges (2.66 ERA over 20 1/3 IP), and Keaton Winn (3.38 ERA over 34 2/3 IP) have been the best arms for San Francisco’s bullpen, with former Brewer Adrian Houser (4.86 ERA over 87 IP), Dylan Smith (2.81 ERA over 16 IP), and Jason Foley (6.00 ERA over 3 IP) rounding things out. As a staff, the Giants have a 4.38 team ERA (22nd), including a 4.40 starter ERA (17th) and a 4.38 bullpen ERA (21st). They’ve struck out 797 batters (28th) over 925 2/3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Monday, July 27 @ 8:45 p.m.: RHP Brandon Sproat (3-5, 5.09 ERA, 5.21 FIP) vs. RHP Tyler Mahle (2-9, 5.31 ERA, 4.52 FIP)
Sproat continues to be plagued by some command issues, as he issued four walks in his latest outing against the Mets. The potential is still there, though, as he’s flashed some promising signs at times this season. For the year, he’s 3-5 with a 5.09 ERA, 5.21 FIP, and 91 strikeouts over 86 2/3 innings across 19 appearances (17 starts). The former second-round pick has never faced the Giants in his career.
Mahle, 31, is a familiar opponent from his five-plus seasons with the Reds. On a one-year deal with the Giants, he’s struggled to a league-worst nine losses this year, with a 5.31 ERA, 4.52 FIP, and 77 strikeouts over 83 innings through 16 starts. The 10-year veteran took the loss in his last outing against the Royals, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out four over five-plus frames. Mahle has made nine career starts against Milwaukee (all while with the Reds), with a 1-3 record, 5.36 ERA, and 63 strikeouts over 45 1/3 innings.
Tuesday, July 28 @ 8:45 p.m.: RHP Logan Henderson (4-1, 3.05 ERA, 2.98 FIP) vs. RHP Landen Roupp (7-8, 3.93 ERA, 3.31 FIP)
Henderson has looked great in a pair of major league cameos over the last two seasons, with a 2.54 ERA and 2.99 FIP over his first 63 2/3 innings, striking out 80. He’s picked up four wins in his eight starts this year, striking out 47 across 38 1/3 innings. He went five innings against the Mets in his last appearance, earning the win as he allowed two runs on five hits and no walks, striking out nine on 80 pitches. This marks Henderson’s first career appearance against San Francisco.
Roupp, 27, is in his third MLB season, and while he has the worst ERA of his career at 3.93, he also has the best FIP of his career at 3.31. Through 20 starts, he’s 7-8 with 113 strikeouts across 110 innings. He went six frames against the Royals in a no-decision his last time out, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks, striking out seven. Roupp has made five career appearances (three starts) against the Brewers, with a 7.16 ERA and 14 strikeouts over 16 1/3 innings. That includes a rough appearance back on June 1, when he allowed eight runs in four innings of work in a loss.
Wednesday, July 29 @ 2:45 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (5-4, 3.51 ERA, 3.01 FIP) vs. RHP Logan Webb (5-7, 3.98 ERA, 3.50 FIP)
Drohan has been a reliable arm in Milwaukee’s rotation since stepping into that role a couple of months ago, as he’s taken on a similar role to Tobias Myers in 2024 and Chad Patrick in 2025. The rookie has spanned 82 innings with a 3.51 ERA, 3.01 FIP, and 82 strikeouts. He’s coming off a bit of a rough start, though, as he went six innings but allowed five runs on six hits and a pair of walks, striking out six in a loss. Drohan pitched against the Giants back on June 1, going four innings with two runs allowed on four hits and two walks, striking out five in a no-decision.
Webb, 29, is already in his eighth major league season. After a great month of June that saw him win NL Pitcher of the Month (0.71 ERA, 0.605 WHIP, and 29 K over 38 IP), he’s had a bit of a rough July. Through four starts this month, he’s 0-2 with 19 runs allowed over 22 2/3 innings (7.54 ERA), striking out just 13. Webb has been dominant against Milwaukee for his career, with a 5-0 record, 1.79 ERA, and 54 strikeouts over 50 1/3 innings across eight starts. That includes seven one-hit innings back in June, when he struck out four en route to a win.
How to Watch & Listen
Monday, July 27: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Tuesday, July 28: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Wednesday, July 29: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
The Brewers once again are the superior team in this matchup, but Roupp and Webb are both tough pitchers. Still, give me the Brewers to eke out two of three.
Read the full article here