
Brewers wrap up first half against the Nats in Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Brewers are set to wrap up the first half of the season in Milwaukee this weekend, as they’ll welcome the Washington Nationals to town for three games beginning Friday evening. If you’ll recall, the Brewers finished the first half of 2024 in Milwaukee against the Nationals, dropping two of three to Washington.
This year, the Brewers are about as hot as they’ve been all season, as they’re coming off a sweep against the NL’s best team and the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Overall, the Brewers are 53-40 on the season, 1.5 games behind the Cubs and firmly in the second NL Wild Card spot entering Thursday’s play.
The Nationals, meanwhile, have had a shaky season. They’ve suffered losing streaks of seven games and 10 games (in May and June, respectively). In July, they’ve taken two of three from the Tigers, were swept by the Red Sox, and split the first two games with the Cardinals entering Thursday’s series finale. At 38-54 this season, they’re in last place in the NL East, 2.5 games behind the Braves and 4.5 games behind the Marlins.
Milwaukee’s injured list features Rhys Hoskins (thumb), Blake Perkins (shin & groin), Nestor Cortes (elbow), Robert Gasser (elbow), Rob Zastryzny (ribs), Garrett Mitchell (shoulder), and Connor Thomas (elbow). Mitchell and Thomas are both out for the season, while Cortes, Perkins, and Zastryzny are likely the first to return before the end of July. Hoskins is out until mid-to-late August, and Gasser could make his return from Tommy John surgery in August, too.
Like so many other teams in the league, the Nationals’ injured list is filled with pitchers. Lefty DJ Herz and righty Trevor Williams are both out for the season, while Derek Law is expected to be the first to return (though he suffered a setback during his rehab assignment). Orlando Ribalta and Josiah Gray are both expected to return in the second half, while outfielder Dylan Crew (oblique) and Keibert Ruiz (concussion) are also working their way back.
Milwaukee’s offense is led by Christian Yelich (18 homers, 63 RBIs), Jackson Chourio (15 homers, 56 RBIs, 61 runs), and on-base machines Sal Frelick, William Contreras, and Brice Turang. Jake Bauers and Andrew Vaughn are now a first-base platoon with Hoskins out, while Joey Ortiz, Isaac Collins, and Caleb Durbin are the other regulars. As a team, Milwaukee is hitting .247/.322/.380 (.702 OPS ranks 20th) with 89 homers (23rd), 435 runs (eighth), and 108 steals (second).
James Wood, an All-Star and Home Run Derby participant, has had a great sophomore season for the Nats, hitting .287/.388/.551 with 24 homers, 69 RBIs, 59 runs, and 12 steals. Nathaniel Lowe, CJ Abrams, and Josh Bell have been the other major contributors. Beyond those guys, there isn’t much power on the team, though Jacob Young provides plenty of speed (nine steals). Paul DeJong is also back from injury, though he’s hitting just .209/.264/.328 in 20 games. As a team, Washington is hitting .247/.313/.391 (.704 OPS ranks 17th) with 90 homers (22nd), 407 runs (16th), and 78 steals (tied for seventh).
Abner Uribe and Jared Koenig sit atop Milwaukee’s bullpen in terms of appearances, though Grant Anderson’s 45 1⁄3 innings lead the way. Nick Mears and Trevor Megill have also been great, with Megill earning an All-Star nod to replace Freddy Peralta. Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, and Easton McGee round out the arms in the bullpen entering this series. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.68 team ERA (eighth), including a 3.42 starter ERA (fifth) and a 4.02 reliever ERA (18th). They’ve struck out 801 batters (eighth) over 826 1⁄3 innings.
Jose A. Ferrer leads Washington with 44 appearances this season, though he has a rough 5.24 ERA. Closer Kyle Finnegan is one of the few bright spots with a 2.43 ERA and 18 saves in 23 opportunities. Cole Henry and Brad Lord have each made 33 appearances, while former Brewer Andrew Chafin has been just OK (3.14 ERA over 14 1⁄3 innings). Jackson Rutledge (6.10 ERA over 38 1⁄3 innings) is another struggling arm, while Mason Thompson recently joined the staff and has made just two appearances thus far. As a staff, the Nationals have a 5.12 team ERA (28th), including a 4.72 starter ERA (26th) and a 5.73 reliever ERA (30th). They’ve struck out 720 batters (25th) over 811 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, July 11 @ 7:10 p.m.: Quinn Priester (3.59 ERA, 4.21 FIP) vs. Mitchell Parker (4.72 ERA, 4.56 FIP)
Priester, 24, has put together a nice season for Milwaukee, with a 3.59 ERA and 4.21 FIP across 82 2⁄3 innings over 16 outings (12 starts). He’s also struck out a career-high 65 batters. He took a no-decision in his last start against the Marlins, allowing five runs (four earned) over 4 2⁄3 innings with four strikeouts in a game Milwaukee ultimately won 6-5. In fact, the Brewers have won each of his last six starts, with a 4-0 record for Priester in that time. He’s made one career start against Washington, with four runs allowed and four strikeouts over four innings while with the Pirates in 2023.
Parker, 25, is in his second MLB season, having made 29 starts with a 4.29 ERA and 3.85 FIP in 2024. He’s been a bit worse this year, with a 4.72 ERA and 4.56 FIP, striking out 66 batters over 97 1⁄3 innings thus far. He got roughed up against the Red Sox in his last outing, allowing nine runs (four earned) on 10 hits and a walk with four strikeouts over six frames. Parker made two starts against the Brewers last season, with completely different outcomes: in July, he allowed five runs in just 2⁄3 of an inning, but he bounced back to go six scoreless in August. Overall, he struck out five with a 6.75 ERA over 6 2⁄3 innings.
Saturday, July 12 @ 3:10 p.m.: Brandon Woodruff (1.50 ERA, 2.59 FIP) vs. Shinnosuke Ogasawara (13.50 ERA, 7.59 FIP)
This is Woodruff’s second start since returning from injury, and his first home start in nearly two years. He was stellar last time out against the Marlins, allowing just one run on two hits and no walks with eight strikeouts across six frames in a winning performance. For his career, Woody has made 131 appearances (116 starts) with a 3.08 ERA, 3.19 FIP, and 796 strikeouts over 686 1⁄3 innings. In seven career appearances (five starts) against Washington, Woodruff has a sterling 0.96 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 37 2⁄3 innings, picking up four wins and no losses.
An international signee out of Japan, Ogasawara spent most of the season in the minors before being called up earlier this week. In his MLB debut, he allowed four runs on seven hits with two strikeouts over 2 2⁄3 innings in a loss to the Red Sox. He made six minor league starts (across three levels) before his MLB debut, with a 4.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 24 innings. This is his first career start against Milwaukee.
Sunday, July 13 @ 1:10 p.m.: Freddy Peralta (2.74 ERA, 3.69 FIP) vs. Jake Irvin (4.78 ERA, 5.34 FIP)
Peralta, who was Milwaukee’s lone All-Star representative before being replaced by Trevor Megill due to this start, has turned in a strong season as Milwaukee’s ace. In 19 starts, he has a 2.74 ERA, 3.69 FIP, and 111 strikeouts over 105 innings, and he’s tied for the NL lead with 10 wins. Like Priester, Peralta is on a nice winning streak, as he’s won each of his last five starts. In his last start against the Dodgers, Peralta went six scoreless frames with seven strikeouts, allowing five hits and a walk on 98 pitches. He’s made seven career appearances (five starts) against the Nationals, with a 6.75 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 32 innings.
Irvin, 28, is in his third season with Washington as a full-time starter. He led the NL in losses (14) in 2024, but he’s managed to turn in a 7-4 record this season despite the worst ERA (4.78) and FIP (5.34) marks of his young career. He’s allowed an NL-worst 22 homers this season and he’s struck out 78 across 111 innings. He took the loss against the Cardinals in his last start, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts across six innings. In four career starts against Milwaukee, Irvin is 0-3 with a 7.32 ERA and 15 strikeouts across 19 2⁄3 innings.
How to Watch
Friday, July 11: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Saturday, July 12: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Sunday, July 13: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, Telemundo Wisconsin, and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
After a sweep of the Dodgers, anything short of a sweep against the struggling Nationals could be considered an underwhelming outcome. I think Milwaukee will pick up another series win entering the All-Star break, keeping pace with the Cubs atop the NL Central.