The Brewers arrive at tonight’s matchup with the Cardinals already having stacked up 101 wins, and they’re still chasing one more before the regular season closes out. Milwaukee backed that up last night with a four-run eighth inning in an 8-4 win, and now the club gets one more look at Dustin May as the postseason nears.
May is getting what amounts to a final tune-up, with Milwaukee still trying to settle on the right pitch mix and sequencing. Pat Murphy framed it as a challenge worth embracing.
“It’s an opportunity for him to pitch well. It’s especially hard to pitch well against the team that knows you so well, but at the same time you know them. So I think it’s an opportunity…and I think he’ll take that head on.”
The Brewers would like a longer outing from May, too. His recent starts have been on the short side, though some of that has been by design and some of it hasn’t. Either way, Milwaukee would love to see him stretch out a little more and show that the stuff and approach can hold up deeper into a game.
There’s also some uncertainty in the infield. Joey Ortiz was pulled from last night’s game with a nagging right knee bruise, and before tonight’s contest he went for an MRI.
Murphy said Ortiz has also been dealing with an abdominal strain and a groin injury. Jonathan Ornelas is with the team but has not been activated, and Murphy said the Brewers will go a man down on the bench while Ortiz is unavailable because they’re within 10 days of the NLDS and an IL move would knock him out for that series.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, made a late change of their own when shortstop Masyn Winn was scratched. Thomas Saggese steps in at shortstop and hits eighth.
Milwaukee is rolling out a mostly right-handed lineup against St. Louis left-hander Quinn Mathews, who owns a 3.65 ERA.
Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and Jake Bauers are at the top for the Brewers, followed by William Contreras, Gary Sanchez, and Luis Lara. Contreras is behind the plate, with Sanchez serving as the DH.
Cooper Pratt, Brandon Lockridge, and David Hamilton finish the order.
St. Louis opens with JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera once again, with Alec Burleson batting third. Jordan Walker, Leo Bernal, and Nolan Gorman are in the middle, followed by Bryan Torres, Saggese, and Nathan Church.
The Brewers have one more shot at win No. 102, and May has one more chance to make a strong case heading into October. First pitch is set for 6:10 PM.
In Other News...
Brewers Just Got A Joey Ortiz Update They Had To Hear
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Ortiz has become an important piece for the Brewers since his game took a real step forward in mid-June, and the team is counting on that version of him in the postseason. For now, the expectation is that hell be ready when the National League Division Series begins on October 3, which is the kind of update Milwaukee needed after a tense few days. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Yelich Had One Condition Before Accepting Brewers Captaincy
Christian Yelich has long been one of the steady voices inside the Brewers clubhouse, so it did not come as a shock when the club officially elevated him to captain. The move, Milwaukees first formal captaincy, came with Robin Younts blessing and was later confirmed by manager Pat Murphy, a reminder that this was as much about respect and presence as it was about production on the field.
Yelich will now wear a C on his jersey, placing him in a small group of active major leaguers with that distinction. The timing also suggests the Brewers were deliberate about making sure the role fit the person, not just the rsum, and there was one requirement Yelich wanted met before he said yes to the honor. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Woodruff Just Reached A Rehab Stage Brewers Fans Needed
Brandon Woodruff has reached a meaningful checkpoint in his rehab, getting medical approval to begin throwing off a mound as he works his way back. For a Brewers team that has been waiting on any encouraging signs from one of its most important arms, it is the kind of development that at least keeps the door cracked on a late-season return.
Pat Murphy still made it clear the odds remain long, and the club has not framed this as a sure thing. Woodruff was originally expected to need surgery, so the fact that he has continued recovering without it has already changed the conversation, even if the next steps now matter more than ever. [Read more 🡒]