The Brewers left this week with another winning stretch in the bank, and it came with a little bit of everything: bullpen work, a few loud swings, extra innings, and one rough night mixed in with a lot of good ones. Over seven games from June 29 through July 5, Milwaukee went 5-2, taking series from the Reds and Diamondbacks while also absorbing a loss in the middle of each set.
The week opened with a 5-3 win over Cincinnati in Game 82, and the Brewers did it the hard way. Robert Gasser gave them 5.2 innings of quality work, but Nick Lodolo had Milwaukee quiet for five scoreless frames and allowed just one hit.
That left the bullpens to decide things, and the Brewers won that battle by scoring five runs off a shaky Cincinnati relief group. Joey Ortiz delivered the biggest swing of the night with a clutch two-run homer in the eighth, and Trevor Megill finished the job in the ninth.
Milwaukee came right back in Game 83 and handled the Reds 7-2. Brandon Sproat worked 5.1 innings, giving up two hits and two earned runs while striking out seven, and the Brewers’ offense jumped on Rhett Lowder early.
Cincinnati’s starter was charged with six runs on 11 hits before getting chased in the fifth, while Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers, and Sal Frelick all turned in strong nights at the plate. Bauers added a home run, and the bullpen backed Sproat with a clean finish.
Game 84 brought another Brewers win, this one 4-2, and Garett Mitchell was the headline. He posted the first four-hit game of his career, helping Milwaukee lock up the series against Andrew Abbott and the Reds.
Shane Drohan also did his part, working 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts and 17 whiffs. Aaron Ashby then handled 1.1 scoreless innings, and Andrew Vaughn chipped in at the plate as Milwaukee kept control.
The Reds got one back in Game 85, beating the Brewers 7-2. Jacob Misiorowski was on the mound for what was billed as a high-end matchup with Chase Burns, but Cincinnati got to the Miz, tagging him for five runs while he still struck out 10 over five innings. The Brewers’ offense never found much traction, though Garett Mitchell did provide a lone bright spot with a home run.
Then the scene shifted to Arizona, where the Brewers and Diamondbacks played a wild one in Game 86. Garrett Mitchell opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the second, and he nearly added another before Lourdes Gurriel Jr. took one away.
Kyle Harrison couldn’t get out of the third, and the Diamondbacks tied it after chasing him. From there, both bullpens carried the game into extra innings, where Milwaukee exploded for four runs in the 11th.
Grant Anderson closed it out, and the Brewers escaped with a 7-4 win.
Game 87 was the low point of the week. The Diamondbacks beat Milwaukee 4-3 on July 4, and the loss was made worse by Brandon Woodruff’s early exit.
The Brewers actually outhit Arizona 12-4, but that didn’t change the final score. Brice Turang collected three hits, Christian Yelich drove in two runs with a homer, and Craig Yoho turned in 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Milwaukee finished the week by bouncing back in Game 88, edging Arizona 3-2. Brandon Sproat lasted four innings and allowed three walks, but the Brewers got enough from the bullpen and enough from a couple of timely swings.
Jake Bauers delivered the key blow with a two-run homer in the seventh, and Joey Ortiz added an RBI single. Grant Anderson and Abner Uribe helped keep the Diamondbacks from finding the big hit they needed.
The week also brought a handful of roster moves. Brandon Woodruff was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 5 with right shoulder inflammation, and Drew Rom was recalled from AAA Nashville.
Coleman Crow was sent on a rehab assignment to AAA Nashville on July 4, when Craig Yoho was also recalled from Nashville. Rob Zastryzny went on a rehab assignment to the ACL Brewers on July 3, Carlos Rodriguez was sent on a rehab assignment to the ACL Brewers on July 1, Robert Gasser was optioned to the ACL Brewers on June 30, and Garrett Stallings had his contract selected from AAA Nashville that same day.
In Other News...
Gary Snchez Keeps Creating One Brewers Problem They Cannot Afford
Gary Snchez has been a useful bat for the Brewers this season, but his work at the plate has come with a different kind of attention too. In a year when Milwaukee has the fewest challenges in baseball, Snchez has been one of the clubs most frequent users of them, and his willingness to push nearly every close call has become part of his profile.
The problem is that the approach has not paid off nearly enough. Snchez has piled up more lost challenges than anyone else in the league, and he is responsible for a huge share of Milwaukees hitter challenges, which can matter when a team needs to save those chances for the biggest moments. The Brewers can live with an aggressive edge from a player producing offensively, but they could use a little more selectivity if they want those challenges to count when it really matters. [Read more 🡒]
Jackson Chourio Had Brewers Fans Doing A Double Take Late
Late in the 18th inning, Jackson Chourio gave Brewers fans a rare sight when he stepped in as a left-handed hitter for the first time in his MLB career. The switch came against a slow eephus pitch from Cardinals utility man Bryan Torres, and Chourio nearly turned the moment into something bigger, sending a drive that was caught just short of the warning track.
It was the kind of odd, late-night wrinkle that can only happen in a marathon game, and both Chourio and manager Pat Murphy seemed to enjoy the novelty of it. Murphy noted how unusual the swing was, while the whole scene fit the feel of an extra-inning game that had already drifted well beyond the ordinary. [Read more 🡒]
One Brewers Bat Is Suddenly Looking Like Tonights Power Play
Jackson Chourio has been one of the Brewers most intriguing power bets lately, and the case for him on July 8 starts with how often the ball has been leaving his bat. He has 13 home runs in 57 games, and the recent surge has only sharpened the attention around him as Milwaukee keeps looking for middle-order thump that can change a game in one swing.
The matchup only adds to the appeal, with the Brewers facing the Cardinals and right-hander Michael McGreevy, who has already given up 13 homers in 17 appearances. Chourios success against right-handed pitching has been part of the conversation too, which is why he stands out in this spot even if the final result is still the kind of thing that can turn on one well-placed pitch. [Read more 🡒]