The Milwaukee Brewers are continuing their NL Central road trip this weekend, as they'll visit Cincinnati to take on the Reds for three games beginning Friday evening. Milwaukee, who enters Thursday night's series finale with the Cubs at 87-53, owns the best record in baseball and, with a win on Thursday evening, will secure their sixth consecutive series win (and ninth out of their last 10 series). The Reds, on the other hand, sit in last place in the NL Central at 67-73, though they are coming off a pair of series wins over the Cubs and Padres, their first series victories since early August.
Milwaukee's injured list includes only pitchers, including Bryse Wilson (mid-September), Brandon Woodruff (potential postseason return), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season).
The Reds are without infielders Spencer Steer (likely done for season), Ke'Bryan Hayes (September), and Michael Toglia (out for season), as well as outfielder Blake Dunn (out for season). On the mound, Graham Ashcraft is currently on a rehab assignment after missing the last three-plus months with a UCL sprain and Hunter Greene is done for the season and maybe even all of next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
The Brewer offense is led by Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio, Andrew Vaughn, Garrett Mitchell, William Contreras, and the recently hot Christian Yelich. Brice Turang and Gary Sánchez have been on the struggle bus for the last several weeks, but Joey Ortiz, Sal Frelick, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, and David Hamilton have all contributed nicely to make up for it. Bo Naylor rounds out the team as the 14th man for September. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .257/.340/.400 (.740 OPS ranks fourth), with 130 homers (tied for last), 704 runs scored (third), and 136 steals (sixth).
Cincinnati's offense is led by rookie Sal Stewart, who is hitting .266/.336/.485 with 31 homers and 105 RBIs, putting him firmly in the conversation for NL Rookie of the Year. Elly De La Cruz, Eugenio Suárez, JJ Bleday, and Tyler Stephenson have all been solid contributors (I know Suárez is hitting only .206 but he still has 20 homers). Matt McLain, Dane Myers, and Héctor Rodríguez round out the other regulars, with TJ Friedl, Ivan Johnson, Juan Brito, Edwin Arroyo, Jose Trevino, and Will Banfield also in the mix. As a team, the Reds are hitting .228/.307/.396 (.703 OPS ranks 23rd), with 186 homers (fourth), 581 runs scored (24th), and 94 steals (tied for 15th).
On the mound, Milwaukee's top bullpen group of Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, and Trevor Megill are all playing well, and Chad Patrick, JoJo Romero, and DL Hall are also serving in important roles. Grant Anderson and Antonio Senzatela round out the group. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.48 team ERA (second), including a 3.61 starter ERA (fifth) and a 3.32 bullpen ERA (third). They've struck out 1,340 batters (second) over 1,251 2/3 innings.
Emilio Pagán anchors Cincinnati's bullpen as the closer as he's 20-for-23 in save chances, though he has a 4.08 ERA. Brock Burke leads the team with 69 appearances, pitching to a 2.58 ERA over 66 1/3 innings. Tony Santillan (6.56 ERA over 35 2/3 IP), Pierce Johnson (4.46 ERA over 40 1/3 IP), and Sam Moll (4.55 ERA over 55 1/3 IP) all have ERAs over 4.00, while Tejay Antone (3.74 ERA over 45 2/3 IP), Julian Garcia (3.32 ERA over 38 IP), and Luis Mey (3.75 ERA over 24 IP) have been solid. As a staff, the Reds have a 4.64 team ERA (26th), including a 4.65 starter ERA (27th) and a 4.65 bullpen ERA (25th). They've struck out 1,129 batters (21st) over 1,242 innings.
Friday, September 4 @ 5:10 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (7-5, 3.75 ERA, 3.42 FIP) vs. RHP Rhett Lowder (6-8, 5.14 ERA, 4.64 FIP)
Drohan has made 27 appearances (16 starts) this season, with a 3.75 ERA, 3.42 FIP, and 110 strikeouts over 110 1/3 innings. He picked up the win in his last outing, going five frames with one run allowed on six hits and a walk, striking out six as he continues to do his job of eating innings as part of Milwaukee's six-man rotation. Drohan has made a pair of starts against the Reds here in his rookie year, totaling 10 innings with two runs allowed (1.80 ERA) and 12 strikeouts.
Lowder, 24, is in his second MLB season after being taken No. 7 overall in 2023. After a solid debut across six starts in 2024 (1.17 ERA, 3.10 FIP, 22 K over 30 2/3 IP) he's struggled mightily this season, making 24 appearances (21 starts) with a 5.14 ERA, 4.64 FIP, and 88 strikeouts across 112 innings. He's been solid over his last seven starts though, allowing three or fewer earned runs in six of those seven games for a 4.05 ERA, 4.70 FIP, and a 3-1 record (the Reds are 6-1 in those games). Lowder has made three career starts against Milwaukee, including two this season. He's 0-3 with a 6.28 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 14 1/3 innings in those games.
Saturday, September 5 @ 5:40 p.m.: RHP Dustin May (6-9, 4.69 ERA, 3.49 FIP) vs. LHP Andrew Abbott (6-10, 4.49 ERA, 4.80 FIP)
May hasn't had much success in a Brewer uniform through five starts. Across 19 2/3 innings with the Crew, he has a 6.41 ERA, 5.43 FIP, and 16 strikeouts over 19 2/3 innings. He took the loss on Sunday against the Rangers, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks, striking out four over 4 1/3 innings. May's lone appearance against the Reds came back in July of this season, when he allowed one run and struck out eight over six innings while with the Cardinals.
Abbott, who was one of the better pitchers in the NL last year en route to an All-Star selection and eighth place NL Cy Young finish, has also had some troubles this year in his fourth big-league season. Across 28 starts, he's 6-10 with a 4.49 ERA, 4.80 FIP, and 115 strikeouts over 148 1/3 innings. He's been hit hard in each of his last two outings, allowing 11 runs on 15 hits and four walks across nine innings in losses to the D-backs and Cubs. A very familiar opponent for Milwaukee, Abbott is 3-4 with a 3.73 ERA and 47 strikeouts across 50 2/3 innings through nine career starts against the Crew. That includes a no-decision against them in July, when he went five frames, allowing two runs and striking out three.
Sunday, September 6 @ 11:10 a.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (10-4, 3.45 ERA, 3.90 FIP) vs. RHP Brady Singer (5-13, 4.83 ERA, 5.06 FIP)
Harrison, who has a solid 3.45 ERA, 3.90 FIP, and 130 strikeouts over 107 innings this season, has had issues with a few blow-up outings. That was on full display in Monday night's drubbing at the hands of the Cubs, as he allowed nine runs on 10 hits (five homers) and a pair of walks, striking out three over 3 2/3 innings in an eventual 17-3 loss. All three of Harrison's starts against Cincinnati came while with the Giants in 2023 and 2024, as he totaled 15 innings with nine runs allowed (5.40 ERA) and 20 strikeouts, going 0-1 with a pair of no-decisions.
Singer, 29, is another pitcher on the struggle bus, as he leads the league with 13 losses this year. Across 27 starts, he has a 4.83 ERA, 5.06 FIP, and 117 strikeouts over 141 2/3 innings. He's allowed at least three runs in each of his last eight starts, and he hasn't picked up a win since late July. In five career starts against Milwaukee, Singer is 2-2 with a 3.51 ERA and 27 strikeouts across 25 2/3 innings. That includes seven innings of shutout baseball against the Crew back in June, when he struck out seven in a no-decision (Milwaukee would go on to win 2-1 in extra innings).
Friday, September 4:Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, September 5:Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, September 6:Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
These two teams have gone in completely opposite directions since the end of April, and that's been especially true in recent weeks. I'll take the Crew to win another series 2-1.
