The Brewers have already done the hard part in this strange three-game set with the Braves: they’ve won the first two and held Atlanta to just two runs total. Now the teams meet in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the finale in MLB’s annual Little League Classic, a game that also serves as ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball slot.
Milwaukee has only pushed across six runs of its own, but a sweep would give the Brewers the season series and, with it, a tiebreaker that could matter down the line if the gap between these teams shrinks before the end of the year. The season series is currently 3-2 Brewers. If Atlanta wins tonight, the Braves would hold the intra-division advantage, the next tiebreaker after that.
On the mound for Milwaukee is left-hander Shane Drohan, who is looking to follow the work Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson have already turned in in this series. Drohan’s last outing came out of the bullpen, when he worked two innings in the Brewers’ 22-0 rout of the Mariners on Tuesday. Before that, he had started 13 straight games and posted a 4.44 ERA, though his 3.67 FIP over that stretch was much better.
There’s also a chance this is one of Drohan’s last turns of the season. He’s rumored to be headed back to bullpen duty after tonight, which makes this start potentially - though probably not - his final one of the year.
Across from him is Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle, one of Atlanta’s trade-deadline additions. Mahle was dealt from the Giants to the Braves on the eve of the deadline, and while he’s only 31, he’s already built quite a career after debuting with the Reds in 2017. His track record has had its ups and downs, but he’s also put together some excellent seasons, including 2025, when he made just 16 starts because of health but still logged a 2.18 ERA in 86 2/3 innings.
Mahle wasn’t especially sharp with San Francisco before the trade, but he’s been on a roll since arriving in Atlanta. In three starts with the Braves, he has worked at least six innings every time and allowed only three runs, good for a 1.45 ERA. He’s struck out 19 and walked just three since joining the club, and though those numbers sit better than his usual career marks, Milwaukee will be hoping that doesn’t last.
The Brewers’ lineup comes with a Little League Classic twist of its own. The two Milwaukee players closest to Little League age, Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara, are both on the bench.
Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, and Jake Bauers make up the outfield, while the infield from left to right is David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang, and Andrew Vaughn. William Contreras is catching, and Christian Yelich is the designated hitter.
Tonight also brings the official debut, at least on the roster, of catcher Bo Naylor, who was acquired on August 1 and has been at Triple-A Nashville since then. Each club gets a 27th man for this special-event game. The Braves’ extra player is Brewer Hicklen, the former Brewer who gets a brief reunion of his own.
First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m., with the game airing exclusively on ESPN and the Watch ESPN app. It’s also available on the Brewers Radio Network.
In Other News...
Brewers Will See A Familiar Face In Atlanta For This One
The Braves added a familiar name to their roster for the matchup with Milwaukee, recalling outfielder Brewer Hicklen as the extra player for the Little League Classic. For Hicklen, a nine-year minor league veteran who reached the majors in 2022, the assignment carries a little more meaning than most. He grew up rooting for Atlanta, so getting a chance to suit up for his favorite team in a showcase setting gives the game an extra layer beyond the usual late-summer backdrop.
Atlanta could use the lift, too, with the club still searching for steadier footing. Hicklens arrival gives the Braves another option as they prepare to face a team he knows well, and the setting in Williamsport only adds to the unusual feel of the moment. For Milwaukee, it is the sort of twist that comes with baseball's calendar, a reminder that even a neutral-site event can bring a little personal history back into the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Luis Lara Is Becoming A Brewers Spark Fans Can Feel
The Brewers have kept rolling, winning six of their last seven and banking a series win over the Braves behind another strong outing from Jacob Misiorowski, who picked up his 13th victory after six scoreless innings. In a stretch where Milwaukee has found ways to win in a lot of different shapes, the defense has been part of the story too, and rookie outfielder Luis Lara has started to stand out as one of the players giving this team a little extra edge.
Laras key catch against Atlanta was the kind of play that fits what the Brewers saw in him long before his major league debut, when they locked him into a seven-year extension. He is still early in his big-league run, but the way he is already showing up in big moments gives Milwaukee another reason to like where this is headed, even as the bigger question is how much more of that spark he can keep providing as the games get tougher. [Read more 🡒]
DL Hall Is Giving Brewers A Bullpen Question They Need Answered
The Brewers have built a reputation for making difficult trade decisions before players reach the end of their control, a habit that only got more scrutiny after the Josh Hader deal changed the way the front office talked about roster timing. Corbin Burnes was the next major name to go, shipped to Baltimore in February 2024 for Joey Ortiz, DL Hall and a draft pick, and Hall has since become one of the more interesting pieces in that return.
Originally developed as a starter, Hall has been pushed into a bullpen role because of injuries, and the move has taken on real meaning in 2026 as his performance has improved. With salary arbitration eligibility getting closer, the Brewers now have to sort out whether he profiles as a long-term relief answer, a possible future trade chip or something in between, and that kind of decision tends to say as much about their roster direction as it does about the pitcher himself. [Read more 🡒]