The Milwaukee Brewers didn’t just beat the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night - they steamrolled them 22-0, and now they turn the page to a weekend series with the Atlanta Braves carrying the best record in baseball at 78-48.
That dominance has the Brewers sitting 4.5 games ahead in the National League Central, a division they’ve won in each of the last three seasons. They also own the top spot in MLB, with a 2.5-game cushion over the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League.
Now comes a three-game set with Atlanta, a club that trails Milwaukee by 4.5 games in the race for baseball’s best record. And the pitching matchups are set.
Friday night brings the headline duel: Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski against 10-time All-Star Chris Sale.
Miz vs. Sale on Friday. You should come out to the ballpark. pic.twitter.com/9XrqHeOgsQ
- Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) August 19, 2026
Misiorowski has been the most overpowering arm in the sport this season, going 12-5 with a 1.75 ERA, a 0.75 WHIP, and 210 strikeouts. Each of those numbers leads the Majors. Sale enters at 12-8 with a 2.16 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and 160 strikeouts.
Misiorowski has seen Atlanta once before. Earlier this year, he took the loss even after throwing six innings of two-run ball and striking out seven.
Sale, meanwhile, brings plenty of history against Milwaukee. In six career appearances, the 16-year veteran is 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA and 52 strikeouts.
Saturday shifts to a rookie matchup, with Logan Henderson getting the ball for Milwaukee. Henderson is 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA and will face Atlanta for the first time in his career. The Braves will counter with Martin Perez, who is 8-7 with a 3.15 ERA this season and has gone 1-3 with a 7.24 ERA in six career appearances against the Brewers.
Sunday’s finale has another wrinkle. Shane Drohan is scheduled to start for Milwaukee even though he worked two innings of relief on Tuesday night. The rookie is 6-4 with a 3.86 ERA and has not yet appeared against Atlanta.
The Braves will go with Tyler Mahle on Sunday. He is 4-10 with a 4.53 ERA this season and has a 2-3 record with a 4.73 ERA in 10 career appearances against Milwaukee.
In Other News...
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The Brewers had no trouble taking care of the Mariners in a historic 22-0 rout, but the biggest follow-up for Milwaukee came away from the scoreboard. Joey Ortiz was part of the offensive surge, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a walk, and he stayed in the game through the final out as the club rolled to one of its most lopsided wins in recent memory.
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Brewers Roster Squeeze Is About To Hit Some Familiar Names
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Brewers Trade Is Already Raising Questions For One Frustrating Reason
The Brewers have already seen one of their recent bullpen gambles take on a little extra intrigue. When Milwaukee sent reliever Mark Manfredi to Colorado in the deal for Antonio Senzatela, it was the kind of move teams make hoping the long view will sort it out, with one arm helping elsewhere and the return piece eventually settling in.
Instead, the early read has been messy on both sides. Manfredi has been moved onto the Rockies major league roster in short order, while Senzatela has also struggled to find his footing in Milwaukee, leaving the trade looking less like an immediate solution and more like another reminder that deadline-style decisions do not always reveal their value right away. [Read more 🡒]