Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves

Milwaukee is now in the heart of a playoff race, and with the Reds and Pirates still contending for that top spot, the Brewers need to continue the success they’ve had post-All-Star break. With multiple players also due to come back from injury, the Brewers might be able to bolster their roster midseason without making any moves.

Lineups

William Contreras has been great as of late and is hitting .274 with 10 home runs so far this season. Yelich has also looked like a glimmer of his MVP self, hitting .311 in the month of June, and has been one of the MLB’s most productive lead-off hitters. Look for Owen Miller to be involved offensively as well since he has been one of the more surprising producers of the offense so far this season.

The Braves have star power all over their lineup, so this might be a daunting series for the Brewers pitchers. Ronald Acuna is the superstar in Atlanta, but Matt Olson, Michael Harris, Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia, and Ozzie Albies are All-Star caliber players that could cause real problems for the Brewers staff. Acuna is hitting .333 this season and Matt Olson leads their team with 30 home runs.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Friday, July 21 @ 7:10 p.m.: Freddy Peralta (6-7) vs. Michael Soroka (1-1)

Freddy has been up and down so far this season but has shown the ability to avoid injury and eat up innings. He has a 4.41 ERA through 18 starts, half of which have been considered quality starts, showing that he still has what it takes to put the Brewers in a position to win.

Mike Soroka has only had four starts this season and is 1-1 in games that he qualified for a win or loss. His ERA is over 5 through those four starts, but it is such a small sample size that it’s hard to say whether or not this is a favorable matchup for the Crew.

Saturday, July 22 @ 6:15 p.m.: Adrian Houser (3-2) vs. TBD

Adrian Houser has been amazing this season for the Brewers in his role. Coming into the season he was looked at as a fringe starter/long reliever. With early injuries to Brandon Woodruff and Wade Miley, Houser has been thrust into a more prominent role and has delivered. Houser is posting a 3.79 ERA through ten starts on the year.

It is yet to be decided who pitches for Atlanta in the second game of the series, but the Brewers shouldn’t take it lightly. With possibly an inexperienced pitcher on the hill, the Brewers might need to dial in and take game two from this Braves team.

Sunday, July 23 @ 1:10 p.m.: Julio Teheran (2-4) vs. Bryce Elder (7-2)

Julio Teheran, much like Houser, didn’t expect to be making such massive starts going into the year, but Teheran has also stepped up. Posting a 4.01 ERA and putting the Brewers in positions to win is what he does consistently, so Milwaukee should have a solid chance of getting the win in the finale.

Bryce Elder has been surprisingly good this season and was selected as an All-Star as well as being productive for the Braves on the mound. Elder doesn’t throw extremely hard but he does have good movement on his breaking pitches.

Bullpen

Devin Williams has been lights out this season for the Brewers and has been used a ton as of late. Posting a 1.69 ERA and 24 saves, there haven’t been many better closers than Williams. Joel Payamps and Elvis Peguero have also been solid so far and have helped the Brewers in many high-leverage situations.

Raisel Iglesias and A.J. Minter are the leaders of the Atlanta bullpen, both with over 10 saves, and Jesse Chavez has been great for them as well, posting a 1.55 ERA. This Atlanta Braves pitching staff may be difficult for the Brewers to crack due to their depth and starting rotation.

Predictions

With some difficult pitching matchups and a star-studded Atlanta offense, I predict the Brewers will take one game to avoid a sweep.