Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers @ Seattle Mariners

For the first time since 2016, the Brewers take a trip out to Seattle to face off against the Mariners. The three-game set against the Mariners will wrap up the 11-game West Coast trip. This trip saw the Brewers drop their first series of the season, losing two in Arizona to the Diamondbacks before coming back and winning three of four against the Padres.

The Brewers find the Mariners amid a bit of a hot streak. Winners of four in a row, including a series sweep of the Rockies, the Mariners are looking to get above .500 for the first time in 2023. This series falls in the middle of a heavy NL Central stretch for Seattle, as they face the Cardinals for three following the Brewers, and they squared off against the Cubs for three before the Rockies series.

Lineups

The Mariners are led by the 2022 AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez. The 22-year-old is coming off a season that saw 28 home runs, a WAR of 6.0, and an OPS of .853. Rodriguez electrifies on the basepaths, stealing 25 bases a season ago. So far this season, he is batting .239 with two home runs, nine RBI, and four stolen bases. They have seen a hot start from another young outfielder, Wisconsin native Jarred Kelenic. Kelenic has the early team home run lead with four and is hitting .362 in 14 games.

The balanced attack made the Mariners one of the most exciting teams in 2022. A walk-off home run from Cal Raleigh at the end of the regular season gave the Mariners their first playoff birth in 21 years, snapping the longest postseason drought in North American professional sports. Despite the slow start, the Mariners are one of the favorites to come out of the AL West.

This offseason saw some swapping of players, as Kolten Wong was traded to Seattle for Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro. The homecoming might have to wait for Winker, as he is day-to-day with right oblique tightness. Wong has appeared in 14 games in 2023 and is batting just .114 with three RBI.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday, April 17 @ 8:40 p.m.: Corbin Burnes (1-1) vs. Chris Flexen (0-2)

Burnes has been off to a slow start in 2023 but demonstrated his Cy Young stuff in the last time out against the Diamondbacks. Across eight innings, Burnes struck out a season-high eight batters while allowing just three hits. This was the first outing in which Burnes did not allow an earned run.

Chris Flexen has seen some struggles as well to start the 2023 season. Entering the game with an 8.74 ERA, Flexen was hit hard against the Cubs during his last appearance. A start that saw just 2 ¹⁄₃ innings, the Cubs tallied eight runs across ten hits, including two home runs.

Tuesday, April 18 @ 8:40 p.m.: Colin Rea (0-0) vs. Logan Gilbert (1-1)

Colin Rea got his first start of the season last Thursday against the Padres. In 5 ²⁄₃ innings, Rea allowed only two hits and one run. Standing in while Brandon Woodruff spends time on the injured list, Rea will try to replicate his start from Thursday, a start that guided the Brewers to an extra-inning victory.

Logan Gilbert is in his third season as a Mariner. The 25-year-old has been solid across three games, striking out 20 while helping them to two wins. The right-hander saw an improvement last year, finishing the year with a 3.20 ERA with 174 strikeouts. The 3.2 WAR was the highest of his career, and he appeared in a career-best 32 games.

Wednesday, April 19 @ 3:10 p.m.: Eric Lauer (2-1) vs. Marco Gonzales (1-0)

Lauer will get the ball to finish off the road trip and enter the contest with a winning record. In a game that saw plenty of run support, Lauer made it six innings, giving up just one run against the Padres last Friday. Both of his wins have come on the road so far, posting a 2.38 ERA away from Milwaukee as well.

The 31-year-old lefty will make his third start of the season on Wednesday. After a shaky first start at home, Gonzales bounced back and got the victory against the Guardians on Saturday. The former Cardinal has seen a regression across the years since he joined the Mariners in 2017. Last year, he had a -0.1 WAR and an ERA of 4.13 in 32 starts.