The Milwaukee Brewers, winners of nine straight, are far and away the hottest team in baseball, building a six-game lead in the NL Central and a five-game lead over the entire league. The Pirates, meanwhile, continue to play Pirates baseball. Through 10 games this month, they’re 4-6, with series losses to the Rockies and Giants before a series split with the Reds over the weekend.
Milwaukee’s injured list has several recognizable names at the moment, including Jacob Misiorowski (leg contusion), Logan Henderson (flexor strain), Robert Gasser (Tommy John surgery), Jackson Chourio (hamstring strain), Rhys Hoskins (thumb sprain), and Jake Bauers (shoulder impingement). Bauers and Misiorowski are expected to both be back in the next couple of weeks, with Chourio, Gasser, and Hoskins behind them.
Pitchers Chase Shugart, Tim Mayza, Justin Lawrence, and Jared Jones are all on the IL for Pittsburgh, with Jones out for the season, Shugart currently on a rehab assignment, and Mayza and Lawrence both TBD. On the position player front, Enmanuel Valdez is out for the year after undergoing shoulder surgery, while catcher Endy Rodríguez is TBD with an elbow injury.
Christian Yelich continues to lead the Brewers with 21 homers and 74 RBIs, but Isaac Collins is easily the hottest hitter on the team. Now hitting .295/.395/.448 with eight homers, 40 RBIs, 45 runs, and 13 steals, Collins has quickly solidified himself as a Rookie of the Year contender. William Contreras, Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, Joey Ortiz, Andrew Vaughn, Caleb Durbin, and Blake Perkins round out the regulars offensively. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .257/.330/.399 (.729 OPS ranks 12th) with 120 homers (tied for 20th), 587 runs (fifth), and 129 steals (second).
Oneil Cruz leads the Pirates with 18 homers, 51 RBIs, 58 runs, and 34 steals this season, while Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds have each added 11 homers. Henry Davis, Nick Gonzales, Spencer Horwitz, and Tommy Pham each have five homers, and Liover Peguero, Jared Triolo, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa round out the offensive regulars. As a team, the Pirates are hitting .233/.305/.347 (.652 OPS ranks last) with 83 homers (last), 426 runs (last), and 90 steals (12th).
Milwaukee’s bullpen continues to shine, with Abner Uribe’s ERA now under 2.00 (1.92) for the season. Jared Koenig, Grant Anderson, Nick Mears, and Trevor Megill have all been solid in high-leverage roles, while Aaron Ashby and DL Hall have been great in long-relief roles. New addition Shelby Miller is also expected to pick up some of the high-leverage innings, as he did in his Brewers’ debut over the weekend. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.63 team ERA (fourth), including a 3.44 starter ERA (third) and a 3.88 reliever ERA (14th). They’ve struck out 1,016 batters (eighth) over 1,041 1/3 innings.
Dennis Santana leads Pittsburgh’s bullpen with 50 appearances, as he’s now stepped into the closer role after David Bednar was traded at the deadline. Ryan Borucki and Braxton Ashcraft are the other high-leverage arms, with Dauri Moreta, Carmen Mlodzinski, Isaac Mattson, Yohan Ramírez, and Cam Sanders rounding out a post-deadline-depleted bullpen for the Bucs. As a staff, the Pirates have a 3.91 team ERA (15th), including a 3.81 starter ERA (seventh) and a 4.05 reliever ERA (17th). They’ve struck out 920 batters (25th) over 1,053 innings.
Monday, August 11 @ 6:40 p.m.: Jose Quintana (3.57 ERA, 4.73 FIP) vs. Andrew Heaney (4.77 ERA, 5.33 FIP)
Quintana does not have flashy numbers this year, but he’s been effective at keeping opposing offenses off the board. Through 17 starts, he has a 3.57 ERA, 4.73 FIP, and 66 strikeouts over 93 1/3 innings. His last start was another win over the Braves, as he went six innings with three runs allowed and a season-high seven strikeouts. A former Pirate himself, Quintana has made 15 career starts against Pittsburgh, with a 5-1 record, 3.23 ERA, and 71 strikeouts over 78 innings.
Heaney has had an up-and-down year after departing Texas for Pittsburgh. The 12-year veteran has a 4.77 ERA, 5.33 FIP, and 80 strikeouts across 115 innings this season. Both of his last two starts have been short and inefficient, throwing 150 total pitches across just eight innings against the Rockies (3 1/3 innings, four runs (three earned), one strikeout) and Giants (4 2/3 innings, one run, one strikeout). He’s made five career starts against Milwaukee, with a 1-3 record, 6.56 ERA, and 30 strikeouts over 23 1/3 innings.
Tuesday, August 12 @ 6:40 p.m.: Freddy Peralta (3.03 ERA, 3.85 FIP) vs. Paul Skenes (1.94 ERA, 2.32 FIP)
Peralta flip-flopped spots in the rotation with Quintana, likely to have Milwaukee’s best pitcher face off with Pittsburgh’s top pitcher. Last time Pittsburgh was in town, it was Jacob Misiorowski vs. Paul Skenes. This time, it’s Peralta vs. Skenes. Peralta, who leads the majors with 13 wins this season, sports a 3.03 ERA, 3.85 FIP, and 141 strikeouts over 130 2/3 innings this season as he looks to strike out 200 batters for the third consecutive year. He went five innings against the Braves in his last start, albeit inefficiently, with 108 pitches. He struck out seven in that one. In 24 career appearances (15 starts) against Pittsburgh, Peralta is 3-2 with a 3.58 ERA and 109 strikeouts across 93 innings.
Coming off winning NL Rookie of the Year and a third-place finish in NL Cy Young voting, Skenes has somehow been even better this year. Across 24 starts, he has a 1.94 ERA, 2.32 FIP, and 162 strikeouts over 144 innings. Both his ERA and FIP lead the NL, but he somehow has a disappointing 7-8 record thanks to a measly Pittsburgh offense. He went six scoreless innings in his last start, striking out eight in a win over the Reds. In three career starts against Milwaukee, Skenes is 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 17 innings.
Wednesday, August 13 @ 1:10 p.m.: Brandon Woodruff (2.29 ERA, 3.73 FIP) vs. Mitch Keller (3.86 ERA, 3.70 FIP)
Big Woo has had a strong return to the mound in 2025, as he’s made six starts with a 2.29 ERA, 3.73 FIP, and 45 strikeouts over 35 1/3 innings thus far. He picked up the win against the Mets on Friday night, working seven innings with eight strikeouts and two runs allowed on three hits (two homers) and two walks. The Brewers have won each of the six games he’s started this year. In 17 career appearances (15 starts) against the Pirates, Woodruff is 7-3 with a 3.40 ERA and 103 strikeouts across 87 1/3 innings.
Keller, in his seventh year with Pittsburgh, has a 3.86 ERA and 3.70 FIP this season, though his 5-10 record (again, thanks to the measly Pittsburgh offense) doesn’t reflect that. Still, the Pirates have managed to win each of the last five games he’s started. He’s also struck out 107 batters over 137 2/3 innings. He went 5 2/3 innings with two runs allowed and three strikeouts against the Reds in his last outing. Over 10 career starts against Milwaukee, Keller is 1-5 with a 4.99 ERA and 60 strikeouts across 52 1/3 innings.
Monday, August 11: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, MLB Network (out-of-market viewers), and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Tuesday, August 12: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Wednesday, August 13: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, MLB Network (out-of-market viewers), and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Last time the Brewers had a winning streak this long, they came up one game shy of getting free burgers for Milwaukee. I think they finish the job this time around, sweeping the Pirates to wrap up a perfect homestand.
Source link
