The Brewers packed a lot into an eight-game stretch, and the week ended with both a high point and a hard thud. Milwaukee won five straight against St. Louis, then dropped all three games in Pittsburgh, including a 14-5 blowout on Sunday that finished the club’s second sweep of the season.
The Cardinals series was the kind of run that can carry a team through a grind. Milwaukee opened with a 4-3 comeback in Game 89, erasing a 3-0 deficit behind Shane Drohan’s six innings and a four-run seventh. David Hamilton led the way at the plate with two hits, a double and two RBI, while Garett Mitchell also turned in a two-hit night and Brice Turang delivered the go-ahead single.
Game 90 followed with another 4-3 win, this time behind Jacob Misiorowski’s seven innings and 11 strikeouts. St. Louis tagged him for three runs on homers, but Christian Yelich answered with three hits, two doubles and two RBI, and Joey Ortiz chipped in three hits, a double and an RBI as Milwaukee again did just enough.
Then came the breakout in Game 91. The Brewers rolled to a 10-2 win in the second game of the doubleheader, with Robert Gasser giving them 7.2 innings and the bullpen getting a much-needed breather. Luis Lara picked up his first MLB hit and drove in two runs, while Cooper Pratt and Gary Sánchez each had productive nights as well.
Milwaukee’s only loss in the St. Louis set came in Game 92, a 5-1 defeat behind Kyle Harrison, who worked four innings. Cooper Pratt collected two hits and an RBI, and Garett Stallings handled two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, but the Cardinals took that one behind Michael McGreevy.
The Brewers closed the series with another win, 8-4 in Game 93, as Logan Henderson returned to the mound and Jake Bauers and Brice Turang each left the yard. Bauers finished with three RBI, Turang added two, and Cooper Pratt continued to contribute with two hits and an RBI.
The tone changed quickly in Pittsburgh.
Saturday’s opener, Game 94, was a frustrating one for Milwaukee despite early power from Sal Frelick and Jake Bauers. Brandon Sproat lasted only three innings, and Esmerlyn Valdez powered the Pirates with a pair of homers, including the go-ahead grand slam, in a 7-6 Brewers loss. Craig Yoho was sharp in relief with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts, but the damage had already been done.
Game 95 was another one-run loss, 3-2, and again Valdez was the difference, homering for the third time on the day. Shane Drohan gave Milwaukee a solid start, working into the sixth, and Brice Turang drove in both Brewers runs with a hit and a double, but Pittsburgh’s bullpen held the line.
Sunday’s finale was the roughest of the week. Robert Gasser was hit hard in a 14-5 loss, and the Pirates piled up runs on him and the Brewers’ bullpen. Bryse Wilson was the lone bright spot on the pitching side, throwing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts, but the game was long gone by then.
The roster churn matched the pace of the week. On July 12, the Brewers designated Greg Jones for assignment, transferred Brandon Woodruff from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list, activated Coleman Crow from the 15-day injured list, acquired Braden Shewmake from the Houston Astros, and optioned both Garrett Stallings and Coleman Crow to AAA Nashville.
Earlier moves included placing Kyle Harrison on the 15-day injured list with left forearm tightness, recalling Robert Gasser and Garrett Stallings, signing Bryse Wilson, designating Easton McGee for assignment, sending Rob Zastryzny on a rehab assignment to AAA Nashville, optioning Drew Rom, activating Logan Henderson, optioning Stallings again, optioning Robert Gasser to ACL Brewers, sending Carlos Rodriguez on a rehab assignment to AAA Nashville, placing David Hamilton on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring, transferring Brandon Lockridge to the 60-day injured list, recalling Luis Lara, optioning Blake Perkins, and selecting Greg Jones’s contract from AAA Nashville.
As for the pitching notes, Misiorowski missed his last start on Sunday in favor of Robert Gasser. There is no injury, though the Brewers are being cautious as Misiorowski didn't bounce back from his last start as they'd hoped. Kyle Harrison's trip to the IL isn't expected to cause him to miss any starts.
In Other News...
Brewers May Have Just Pulled Off Their Biggest Draft Steal Yet
The Brewers used their first two picks in the 2026 MLB Draft to add Trey Ebel at No. 25 and Sawyer Strosnider at No. 66, a pairing that fits the way Milwaukee tends to attack draft night. Strosnider, a left-handed hitting outfielder from TCU, came into the draft with plenty of attention thanks to his power-speed blend and his place near the top of several prospect lists, including a No. 13 ranking from Baseball America and No. 22 from MLB Pipeline.
His slide into the second round is the kind of thing that often happens when clubs are juggling bonus-pool money, and it gave the Brewers a chance to land a player many evaluators expected to hear much earlier. For a team that values finding upside without losing flexibility, Strosnider looks like the sort of pick that can change the conversation about a draft class quickly, even if the full payoff will take time to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Just Found Another Way To Make The Brewers Feel It
The Brewers draft board for 2026 took another hit this week, even if the damage was indirect. Chicago picked up an extra selection after losing Kyle Tucker in free agency, then used that capital to add Florida State first baseman Myles Bailey, while Milwaukees own path to more draft help was already narrowed by an earlier move that sent away its supplemental pick.
For a Brewers team that has tried to stay nimble with its roster-building, the contrast is hard to miss. Brandon Woodruff accepting the qualifying offer left Milwaukee without the bonus draft cushion that sometimes softens a free-agent departure, and now a division rival has turned that kind of compensation into another piece of future talent, leaving the Brewers to make their 2026 draft plan with less room for error. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Add Another Athletic Outfielder Early And Fans Will Have Takes
The Brewers kept leaning into athleticism early in the 2026 MLB Draft, grabbing University of Florida outfielder Kyle Jones with the 102nd pick. A right-handed hitter with a productive season behind him, Jones brings a profile Milwaukee has long seemed to value: enough offense to matter, enough speed to change the game on the bases, and enough defensive ability to give him a real chance to stay in the middle of the field.
Jones college line, built around a .317 average, six homers, 46 RBIs and 17 stolen bases, fits the kind of all-around package that can make a pick like this look smart in a hurry. It also stands out for another reason around here, because Milwaukee has not taken a collegiate outfielder this high in the draft in a while, which is the sort of detail that tends to get fans talking about both the player and the direction of the draft room. [Read more 🡒]