The Milwaukee Brewers are set to wrap up their nine-game homestand coming out of the All-Star break this weekend, as they’ll host the Colorado Rockies for three games beginning Friday night.
The Brewers sit at 64-38 on the year, the second-best record in the league behind only the Dodgers, as they’ve built a seven-game lead over the Cubs and the rest of the pack in the NL Central. The Rockies, at 41-63, once again sit at the bottom of the NL West. They’ve lost four consecutive series against the Giants (x2), Dodgers, and Reds dating back to early July.
Milwaukee’s injured list includes pitchers DL Hall (late July/early August return), Kyle Harrison (early August), Joel Kuhnel (early August), Rob Zastryzny (late July), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). The position player injuries include outfielders Brandon Lockridge (late July/early August) and Sal Frelick (TBD), as well as infielder David Hamilton (expected to return this weekend).
Colorado is currently without pitchers Blas Castaño (TBD), Jeff Criswell (August), Jaden Hill (TBD), former Brewer Jose Quintana (August), McCade Brown (TBD), RJ Petit (out for season), Chase Dollander (out for season), and Pierson Ohl (out for season). Outfielder Brenton Doyle has been out since mid-May with oblique and groin injuries, but he’s close to a rehab assignment, while former Cub Kris Bryant may be nearing retirement as he hasn’t played in any games this year with chronic back issues.
Jake Bauers sets the pace for the Crew’s offense with 18 homers and 15 doubles this year, though he’s going through a bit of a cold stretch currently. Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, and Joey Ortiz(!!) are the other key contributors in recent weeks, with Andrew Vaughn, Gary Sánchez, Christian Yelich, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, Braden Shewmake, and Blake Perkins also in the mix. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .252/.336/.397 (.733 OPS ranks 10th), with 94 homers (last), 514 runs (fifth), and 100 steals (sixth).
Backstop Hunter Goodman and outfielder Mickey Moniak have been the best offensive players for Colorado, as Goodman leads the team with 31 homers and Moniak has added 16 homers and 11 doubles in just 67 games. Rookie TJ Rumfield is hitting .297/.381/.476 with 13 homers, and Jake McCarthy is batting over .300. Willi Castro, Kyle Karros, Braxton Fulford, Troy Johnston, Tyler Freeman, Cole Carrigg, Ezequiel Tovar, Edouard Julien, and Brett Sullivan round things out. As a team, the Rockies are hitting .255/.325/.420 (.745 OPS ranks fifth), with 118 homers (17th), 495 runs (tied for seventh), and 70 steals (tied for 14th).
Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill anchor Milwaukee’s bullpen, as they’ve combined for 22 saves. Uribe has a 2.38 ERA with 41 strikeouts over 41 2/3 innings, and Megill has a 3.00 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 39 innings, a major feat when you consider where he was two weeks into the season. Chad Patrick, Aaron Ashby, and Grant Anderson are also key parts of this Brewer bullpen, with Criag Yoho, Lance McCullers Jr., and Bryse Wilson rounding things out. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.44 team ERA (second), including a 3.36 starter ERA (first) and a 3.53 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 997 batters (second) over 913 2/3 innings.
Brennan Bernardino is one of the few bright spots for this Rockies bullpen, as he has a 2.74 ERA over 42 2/3 innings this year. Juan Mejia and Victor Vodnik are tied for the team lead with four saves each, though both have ERAs in the 5.00s. Former starter-turned-reliever Antonio Senzatela has been solid with 3.60 ERA, as has long-reliever/starter Gabriel Hughes (2.79 ERA over 19 1/3 IP) and former closer Jordan Romano (1.59 ERA over 5 2/3 IP) in limited appearances. The two other bulk relievers have struggled — Jimmy Herget has a 5.60 ERA over 27 1/3 IP, and Zach Agnos sports a 6.42 ERA over 61 2/3 IP. As a staff, the Rockies have a 5.50 team ERA (last), including a 6.00 starter ERA (last) and a 4.95 bullpen ERA (26th). They’ve struck out 735 batters (29th) over 914 1/3 innings.
Also of note: The Brewers are hosting an Alumni Legends Game after Friday’s game, which is why it has the odd 3:10 p.m. start time. The Legends Game will feature approximately 30 players for a three-inning exhibition set to begin 15 minutes after the conclusion of the Brewers-Rockies game. Players confirmed to be playing include Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo, Ben Sheets, Geoff Jenkins, and many more. To view the full list, click here.
Friday, July 24 @ 3:10 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (5-3, 3.20 ERA, 3.08 FIP) vs. RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (9-4, 4.76 ERA, 5.39 FIP)
Drohan, 27, has quickly become a solid option in Milwaukee’s rotation, as he’s gone at least six innings in each of his last three outings. The left-hander has totaled 76 innings this year with a 3.20 ERA, 3.08 FIP, and 76 strikeouts. He went six frames against the Marlins in his last outing, picking up the win as he allowed three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out nine batters. Drohan picked up a win in his start against the Rockies in early June, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out four over 6 1/3 innings.
Sugano, 36, is in his second MLB season after starting 30 games for the Orioles last season. He’s had similar numbers in year No. 2 with the Rockies, with a 4.76 ERA, 5.39 FIP, and 51 strikeouts over 90 2/3 innings. He bounced back from a rough seven-run outing against the Twins to pitch 6 1/3 innings with three runs allowed in a win over the Reds in his last appearance, giving up six hits and no walks while striking out three. Sugano’s lone appearance against Milwaukee came as an Oriole last year, when he went six innings with two runs allowed on five hits and a walk, striking out three in a no-decision.
Saturday, July 25 @ 6:10 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (2-4, 4.91 ERA, 5.13 FIP) vs. RHP Ryan Feltner (3-4, 5.48 ERA, 5.68 FIP)
Gasser, 27, has had his ups and downs in his third MLB season, though he’s made more appearances this year (10) than in 2024 and 2025 combined (seven). Over his 10 starts, he’s 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA, 5.13 FIP, and 48 strikeouts across 51 1/3 innings. The lefty went five innings in a no-decision against the Marlins on Sunday, allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out five. This marks Gasser’s first career appearance against Colorado.
Feltner, 29, is in his sixth MLB season, and he’s been serviceable albeit not good for his entire career. He’s made 14 starts this year, with a 3-4 record, 5.48 ERA, 5.68 FIP, and 50 strikeouts over 65 2/3 innings. The right-hander has been hit hard against the Giants and Reds in his last two outings, totaling just 6 2/3 innings with 12 runs allowed on 13 hit and eight walks while striking out six. Feltner has made six career starts against the Brewers, and he’s been mostly successful with a 2.67 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 33 2/3 innings. That includes a solid six-inning showing back in June, when he allowed one run on one hit, two walks, and a hit batter while striking out four.
Sunday, July 26 @ 1:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (10-4, 1.57 ERA, 2.05 FIP) vs. LHP Kyle Freeland (2-9, 7.28 ERA, 4.90 FIP)
Misiorowski, 24, continues to mow down hitters even as the Brewers have tried to ease back his workload out of the All-Star break. He leads the majors in plenty of major categories, including ERA (1.57), FIP (2.05), WHIP (0.774), and strikeouts (173) across 115 innings. He went four innings against the Mets on Monday evening, allowing one unearned run on four hits and a walk, striking out six. Miz looked great against Colorado when he faced them back on June 6, allowing one unearned run on four hits and three walks, striking out eight over seven frames.
Freeland, 33, is in his 10th big-league season, all with the Rockies, and he’s been mostly bad since finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting back in 2018. This year has been his worst, though, as he’s totaled -0.8 bWAR with a 2-9 record, 7.28 ERA, 4.90 FIP, and 83 strikeouts over 94 innings. He leads the league with 76 earned runs, including at least four runs allowed in four of his last five outings. He went six innings against the Nationals his last time out, allowing four runs on seven hits and a pair of walks, striking out four. Freeland has made 11 career starts against Milwaukee, with a 3.55 ERA and 53 strikeouts over 63 1/3 innings. He went five frames against the Crew in June, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two.
Friday, July 24: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, July 25: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, July 26: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
These are a pair of teams with very different trajectories since meeting in the 2018 playoffs. The Brewers have the advantage in virtually every facet, and I expect that to play out on the field; give me the Crew to sweep.
