The Milwaukee Brewers are absolutely cruising, sitting pretty with a commanding 10-game lead in the NL Central and a fantastic 91-56 record with only 15 games left. They just swept the Cubs, too, talk about hot! But as they get ready to host the Cincinnati Reds for three games in Milwaukee, let’s not forget how one of their starting pitchers recently got absolutely shelled by *our* Seattle Mariners.
Brewers Are Feasting, Reds Are Fading
While the Brewers are living large after their September day off, the Reds are struggling hard. Cincy is in last place at 69-77, coming off their own rough sweep, that one courtesy of the Dodgers to start the week. It hasn’t been long since these two faced off either, with the Reds actually taking two of three from the Crew in Cincinnati just last weekend. Can the Brewers turn the tide at home this time, or will the Reds find some fight? Cincinnati did activate right-hander Graham Ashcraft and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes from the IL, but they also designated left-hander Sam Moll for assignment and optioned utility man Edwin Arroyo to Triple-A Louisville. On the Brewers’ side, they lost Grant Anderson to the 15-day IL with biceps tendinitis and recalled Brandon Sproat, who was then demoted again with Garrett Stallings expected to shore up the bullpen. Plus, Jake Bauers is battling lower-body injuries, but they’re managing him, not sending him to the IL.
Stats Tell A Story: One Team’s Got It, One Doesn’t
Let’s get real about the numbers. Milwaukee’s offense is no joke, hitting .257/.339/.400 with a .739 OPS that ranks fourth overall. They’re third in runs scored (742) and fourth in steals (143), even if their 137 homers puts them dead last in the league. The Reds? Not so much. Their .230/.308/.398 line gives them a .706 OPS that ranks 23rd. They’re 25th in runs (611) and 11th in steals (102), though they do boast more dingers with 196 (fourth in the league).
On the mound, it’s a completely different story. The Brewers pitching staff is elite, ranking second in MLB with a 3.56 team ERA. Their starters are fifth with a 3.63 ERA, and the bullpen is right there too at fifth with a 3.46 ERA. They’ve struck out 1,406 batters, good for second in the majors. Cincinnati’s pitching, however, is rough. They’re 27th with a 4.73 team ERA, with both their starters and bullpen ranking 27th and 25th respectively.
This brings us to Brewers RHP Dustin May. He’s on the bump for Friday’s 6:45 p.m. game, facing Reds LHP Andrew Abbott. May started his Milwaukee tenure with two solid outings, but since then, things have been dicey. Remember when he went just two innings and allowed *seven* runs against *our* Mariners? Yeah, that happened. He also got hit by a liner against the Mets, exiting after one out, and had two “so-so” starts against the Rangers and these very Reds. Overall, in six starts, he’s got a 6.17 ERA over 23 1/3 innings. Not exactly lights out.
So, the Brewers are looking to keep their massive lead, while the Reds are just trying to avoid another sweep and dig out of last place. Can May bounce back, or will the Reds feast on his recent struggles like our M’s did? Meanwhile, back here in the Emerald City, our Mariners just snagged a 4-3 win against the Rangers, keeping things interesting!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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