Game Thread #98: Milwaukee Brewers (57-40) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (58-40)

Brewers look to take another series from Dodgers behind Peralta

In an odd twist that no one could have seen coming in the doldrums of April and early May, the Brewers could end tonight tied for the best record in the National League. Not to jinx anything, but a win over the Dodgers would give Milwaukee a better record by half a game, and if the Cubs were to also lose, Milwaukee would be tied with them for the NL’s best record.

I don’t mean to invite any bad vibes by bringing this up, and it’s only mid-July, after all. But it’s been a remarkable turnaround for this team that was under .500 as late as May 26. But they’ve been the best team in the majors since then, and tonight they look to continue their surprising dominance over the struggling Los Angeles nine, who have dropped eight of their last 10, with four of those losses (and neither of the wins) against the Brewers.

Tonight, Freddy Peralta will be back on the mound for Milwaukee after hanging out as an All-Star (but not participating in the game). Like everyone else on the Brewers, he’s been hot: Peralta has allowed just three earned runs in 18 ²⁄₃ innings over his last three starts, and he hasn’t given up more than three runs (earned or otherwise) in a start since May 12. But he’s been good all year — his ERA since that May 12 start is actually identical to his ERA over the full season (2.66). I know it’s an old-fashioned stat, but Peralta’s 11 wins lead the majors, and it’s encouraging that he’s also the league’s leader in games started (20).

The Dodgers will decidedly not send the league’s leader in games started to the mound tonight. Emmet Sheehan has thrown 13 ¹⁄₃ innings across three appearances (two starts) this season, and while he’s been good in those innings, there’s no real reason to expect him to have suddenly figured it out. Sheehan is just getting back from Tommy John surgery, which he had in May of last season, a year in which he threw no professional innings. Sheehan’s track record is small — he was a sixth-round draft pick in 2021 and performed admirably at Double-A Tulsa in 2023, but that was just 53 ¹⁄₃ innings; in total, he has thrown 73 ²⁄₃ innings as a major leaguer (this year and in 2023) and holds a 4.40 ERA and 4.34 FIP.

One small administrative note is that Robert Gasser has taken the next step in his rehab process: he was assigned to the ACL Brewers, with whom he pitched today (one scoreless inning, nine pitches).

Of note in the lineup tonight is the first start of the season for outfielder Blake Perkins, who — after bunting for a hit last night — is batting 1.000. He’ll start in center field, with Jackson Chourio in right and Isaac Collins in left. Mookie Betts, who is struggling at the plate, is not in the Dodgers’ lineup tonight, and Will Smith will take Betts’ usual spot in the two-hole.

Tonight’s first pitch is at 8:10 p.m. CT and can be seen on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin and heard on the Brewers Radio Network.