Brewers welcome struggling Orioles squad to Milwaukee
The struggling Milwaukee Brewers are set to welcome a different struggling team to Milwaukee this week, as they play in their fourth consecutive interleague series. The Baltimore Orioles have had one of the most disappointing seasons in baseball to this point, culminating in the firing of manager Brandon Hyde over the weekend.
Milwaukee has salvaged the series finale of each of their last three series, going 3-6 in that stretch. On the other side, the Orioles have lost six straight games, including sweeps to the Twins and Nationals.
The Brewers’ injuries are still almost all of the pitching variety, with Brandon Woodruff, Aaron Civale, and Jose Quintana all potentially back in the fold again by the end of the month. Blake Perkins and Garrett Mitchell are the main position player injuries, with both out until at least late May.
For Baltimore, outfielders Colton Cowser and Tyler O’Neill, former Brewer catcher Gary Sánchez, and infielder Jordan Westburg are all out for this series. Relievers Andrew Kittredge and Cody Poteet, along with starters Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez, are also out
Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich are still tied for the team lead with seven homers apiece, though Rhys Hoskins has looked like the top bat so far as he’s hitting .288/.392/.446. Brice Turang is hitting .288/.366/.362 while providing speed with 12 steals, and that’s about it for Milwaukee’s offense so far. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .228/.305/.343 (.648 OPS ranks 28th) with 37 homers (tied for 27th), 198 runs (15th), and 59 steals (tied for first).
The Orioles are led by Cedric Mullins, Gunnar Henderson, Ryan O’Hearn, and Jackson Holliday. Adley Rutschman has had a down year, while O’Hearn leads the team with a .301 batting average, slashing .301/.390/.512 with seven homers, 37 hits, and 17 runs scored. Mullins leads the team with nine homers and is second with six steals. As a team, the Orioles are hitting .231/.298/.388 (.686 OPS ranks 22nd) with 53 homers (tied for 10th), 169 runs (25th), and 24 steals (25th).
Abner Uribe, Nick Mears, and Trevor Megill lead the bullpen this year for Milwaukee, while Jared Koenig has been a bit shakier as of late. Grant Anderson is also solidly in the fold depending on the availability of the others. As a staff, Milwaukee ranks 18th with a 4.14 team ERA, including a 3.83 starter ERA (14th) and a 4.53 reliever ERA (22nd). They’ve struck out 370 batters (21st) over 410 2⁄3 innings.
Keegan Akin leads Baltimore with 21 appearances this year, though Bryan Baker (2.37 ERA over 19 innings) and Félix Bautista (2.77 ERA over 13 innings) have both been better. Bautista is a perfect 7-for-7 in save opportunities and is honestly one of the few bright spots for the Orioles this season. As a staff, Baltimore ranks 29th with a 5.52 team ERA, including a 6.01 starter ERA (29th) and a 4.93 reliever ERA (26th). They’ve struck out 344 batters (25th) over 391 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Monday, May 19 @ 6:40 p.m.: Quinn Priester (4.59 ERA, 5.17 FIP) vs. Dean Kremer (5.36 ERA, 5.17 FIP)
Priester, who got off to a strong start with the Brewers, has made seven appearances (six starts) but has only pitched in one win, a victory over the Tigers in his second start back on April 15. Since that time, the Brewers have lost all five of the games he’s pitched in, though he’s allowed just one earned run in each of his last two starts against the Astros and Guardians. This is his first career appearance against Baltimore.
Kremer’s stats closely match those of Priester this year, as they have identical FIPs at 5.17. While Kremer started off the month of May with his best start of the year (7 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K) against the Royals, he’s been less solid in his last two starts against the Twins, allowing six runs over 12 2⁄3 innings. Both of Kremer’s starts against the Brewers have been less than ideal, as he’s allowed 14 runs (12 earned) across nine innings with eight strikeouts, earning the loss in both games.
Tuesday, May 20 @ 6:40 p.m.: Logan Henderson (2.45 ERA, 3.10 FIP) vs. TBD
Henderson has solidly stepped into his role as Milwaukee’s pitching staff continues to deal with injuries. Through two starts, he’s picked up a pair of wins and allowed just three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out 16 over 11 innings. He went five innings and struck out seven in his last start against the Guardians. This is Henderson’s first career appearance against Baltimore.
The Orioles haven’t yet announced their starter for game two of the series, though this spot was filled by team No. 4 prospect Chayce McDermott last time around. He struggled in that one, allowing four runs over just three innings, and was promptly demoted back to Triple-A Norfolk. As a result, Baltimore will need to either make a roster move or go with a bullpen game in this one.
Wednesday, May 21 @ 12:10 p.m.: Chad Patrick (3.35 ERA, 3.66 FIP) vs. Tomoyuki Sugano (3.08 ERA, 4.85 FIP)
Like Henderson, Patrick has been great filling in a hole in the rotation. Through 10 appearances (nine starts), he sports a 3.35 ERA, 3.66 FIP, and 38 strikeouts over 48 1⁄3 innings. He’s allowed three or fewer runs in every appearance this year, providing consistency even when he’s not on his A-game. This is his first career appearance against Baltimore.
A 35-year-old veteran from Japan, Sugano is a rookie in MLB as he signed a $13 million contract with the Orioles for 2025. In a rotation that’s struggled this year, Sugano has provided the most consistency, with a 3.08 ERA, 4.85 FIP, and 29 strikeouts across 52 2⁄3 innings over nine starts this year. His last start against the Twins was one of his worst, as he allowed four runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 6 1⁄3 innings. In the three starts before that, however, he allowed just three runs total on 12 hits and three walks, striking out 17 across 18 1⁄3 innings. This is his first career appearance against Milwaukee.
How to Watch
Monday, May 19: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Tuesday, May 20: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, FOX 6 in Milwaukee, and other local over-the-air stations across Wisconsin (see more details here), and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Wednesday, May 21: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, MLB Network (out-of-market viewers), and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
In a series that features a pair of struggling teams, I’ll take Milwaukee with the home-field advantage. Give me the Crew to take two of three to wrap up the homestand.