After two straight late rallies, the Brewers are going for the sweep against the Cubs on Monday night in Milwaukee. The win on Sunday locked up the season series for the Brewers, which means they also own the tiebreaker. With a nine-game cushion and 16 games left, that edge may never come into play, but Milwaukee still has bigger goals in sight as it chases the Dodgers and Braves for the top two seeds in the National League.
Milwaukee turns to Logan Henderson, who has quietly become a major force in the rotation. He’s been overpowering from the jump, allowing fewer than three runs in 13 of his 15 starts and never giving up more than three in any of them.
He’s also been going deeper into games lately, finishing seven innings in three of his last four starts after not reaching that mark in any of his first 16 career outings. Through it all, Henderson has posted a 2.48 ERA and a 0.792 WHIP, while striking out 10 batters per nine innings and walking just 1.5.
If he had enough innings to qualify, his 6.64 strikeout-to-walk ratio would lead major-league starters.
Chicago counters with Kevin Gausman, one of the Cubs’ trade deadline additions. His results have been almost the same before and after the move: a 4.38 ERA with Toronto and a 4.37 ERA in six starts for Chicago.
The underlying numbers point to some bad luck, too, since his FIP sat at 3.50 with Toronto and is 3.83 with the Cubs. Gausman did, however, turn in his best outing against Milwaukee last week.
On Thursday, he worked seven innings, gave up one run on five hits and a walk, and struck out nine, his highest strikeout total since April 1st.
Jackson Chourio moves back to the top of Milwaukee’s lineup after his big night last night. Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick join him in the outfield, while Andrew Vaughn, Brice Turang, Cooper Pratt, and Joey Ortiz form the infield. William Conteras is behind the plate, and Christian Yelich is batting fifth as the designated hitter.
In Other News...
Brewers Are Still Cashing In On A Trade Nobody Noticed
Back on Feb. 9, just before spring training, the Brewers and Red Sox quietly completed a six-player trade that barely registered at the time. Deals involving that many big-league pieces are rare enough, but what has made this one stand out is how quickly it has turned into a true major-league exchange, with every player in the deal reaching the highest level and contributing this season.
From Milwaukees side, the trade has already paid off with notable work from Harrison and Hamilton, giving the Brewers useful production from a move that was easy to overlook in February. The Red Sox have their own end of the bargain working, too, with Durbin emerging as one of the more notable pieces, which is what makes the deal so unusual: months later, it is still producing value for both clubs, and the full long-term shape of it is only beginning to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Are Getting National Credit For What They've Built
The Brewers keep finding themselves in the same conversation for a reason. After winning the National League Central in each of the past three seasons and staying on pace for another strong run, Milwaukee has built a reputation that is now drawing attention well beyond its own market. ESPNs latest organizational rankings put the Brewers near the top of baseball, citing the overall talent level across both the major league roster and the farm system.
What stands out about that kind of recognition is how much of it is tied to breadth, not just one or two headline names. Milwaukees mix of current contributors and prospects has given the club a legitimate national profile, even if the long-term payoff for some of those players still has to be proven. For a team that has turned consistency into its calling card, that sort of external validation is another sign the Brewers have built something real. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Have A Strange New Weakness They Can't Take Into October
The Brewers have quietly run into one of the more unusual issues of their 2026 season, and it has nothing to do with pitching depth or bullpen usage. Under Major League Baseball's ABS challenge system, Milwaukee has been among the least effective teams in the sport, with a low success rate and an offense that challenges pitches less often than any other club.
It has not just been a matter of volume, either. Brewers catchers have also been below average when they do push for a review, which has made the system harder to trust in tight moments late in games. For a team that expects October baseball to come down to small edges, this has become a subtle but real weakness to keep in mind. [Read more 🡒]