Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers vs Washington Nationals

The Milwaukee Brewers continue their battle with the NL East as they welcome the Washington Nationals to American Family Field on Friday. The three-game series will cap off nine straight and 12 of their last 15 games against the NL East.

The Nationals, who enter the series in last place in the division, are losers of seven of their last 10. Since winning the World Series in 2019, the Nationals have been one of the worst teams in baseball. Last season, they finished with a 65-97 record and a spot at the bottom of the division for the first time since 2010.

The Brewers will be without shortstop Willy Adames, who was placed on the injured list earlier this week with an ankle sprain. Keston Hiura took his spot on Wednesday and made an immediate impact, hitting a walk-off home run in the 11th to give the Brewers a 7-6 victory over the Braves. Look for Hiura and Luis Urias to share time this series with Adames out.

Speaking of Urias, the utility infielder has been on a tear since he returned from a quad injury that sidelined him for the beginning of the season. In 14 games he is slashing .294/.403/.431, with a 142 wRC+. He has gotten on base each of the 14 games that he’s appeared in, driving in six runs and hitting two home runs. His consistency at the plate and versatility in the field made him one of their most valuable players in 2021, and he hasn’t skipped a beat in 2022.

The Brewers announced this afternoon that outfielder Andrew McCutchen had been reinstated from the COVID-19 IL. Trevor Kelley, who got his first Major League win on Wednesday, was optioned back down to Nashville.

Pitchers:

Game 1 Friday, 7:10 pm CT: Eric Lauer vs Erick Fedde

Eric Lauer is off to the best start in his career. After starting the season 3-0, Lauer recorded his first loss of the season on Saturday against the Marlins. Still, he enters Friday with a 2.60 ERA and 49 strikeouts. He has been dominant at home so far, with a 2-0 record and an ERA of just 1.38.

Erick Fedde comes into Milwaukee with a 2-2 record and 4.24 ERA. He has been better on the road, however, with both of his wins coming on the road. The right-hander has struggled with command thus far, walking three-plus batters in three of his six starts.

Game 2 Saturday, 6:10 pm CT: Brandon Woodruff vs Patrick Corbin

Brandon Woodruff will try to turn things around on Saturday. It has been rough sledding for Woodruff so far. A 48.9% hard-hit percentage and 88.7 average EV have contributed to his 5.35 ERA. He has had significantly more success at home this season. At American Family Field, Woodruff is 3-0 with a 1.62 ERA.

Patrick Corbin has struggled to get much going this season since he was named the Opening Day starter. The 32-year-old left-hander is 0-6 with a 6.28 ERA. He does have a complete game under his belt this season, an eight-inning performance that saw Corbin give up nine hits, five runs, and strike out three in a 5-2 loss to the Rockies.

Game 3 Sunday, 1:10 pm CT: Freddy Peralta vs Aaron Sanchez

Freddy Peralta will take the mound for the Brewers on the Sunday matinee. Freddy recorded his best start of the season his last time out, a masterful seven-inning performance against the Braves where he allowed just two hits while striking out 10.

Aaron Sanchez gets the ball for the 6th time this season on Sunday. The right-hander has struggled, entering Sunday with a 7.94 ERA. He has yet to go beyond 5.1 innings pitched in 2022, and he has only struck out 12 across his first five appearances.

You can watch every game live on Bally Sports Wisconsin, or listen to the action on the Brewers Radio Network.