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The Milwaukee Brewers return to play Friday, July 17 against the Miami Marlins, the beginning of the unofficial second half of the season.
The Brewers (59-37) are coming off a sweep by the Pittsburgh Pirates but still have the second-best record in baseball. It's a similar plight to the Marlins, who have also been cooking but also come into the battle on a three-game losing streak.
The Brewers haven't played a game at American Family Field since July 2, followed by a three-city road trip and the all-star break.
Here's what to know about the Brewers' series against the Marlins to open the second half:
Miami comes into the game at 52-45, third place in the National League East and owner of a wild-card spot if the season ended today. Miami sits one game ahead of St. Louis for that last spot and two games behind Philadelphia in the pecking order.
The Marlins were white-hot in June, going 20-6, and that didn't stop with a six-game winning streak early in July. But then the team scored five runs in three games and got swept at the hands of Cleveland, despite allowing just 12 runs over that same three-game window.
The Brewers will be facing some red-hot pitchers in the series.
Eury Pérez, 23, threw seven perfect innings July 5, two starts ago, and hasn't allowed more than two runs in any start in his past six appearances, dating to mid-May since he battled through injury. For the year, he's got a 3.78 ERA and 1.144 WHIP.
All-star Max Meyer, who didn't pitch in the All-Star Game, has a 2.58 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 108 innings, and he likewise has gone seven outings allowing two or fewer runs. Then there's Sandy Alcantara, the 30-year-old former Cy Young winner, who's up to his usual good work with a 3.99 ERA over 131 innings, working deep into games.
The performances on the hill have nicely supplemented an offense that has 20 homers in July (second-most in MLB), striking out less than any other MLB team this month except Toronto and has found itself squarely in a playoff push.
The 27-year-old second baseman was selected off waivers in 2024 by the Marlins and, boy, has that paid off. His 4.7 WAR according to Baseball Reference easily leads the team and ranks him sixth in all of baseball. Lopez has an NL-leading 127 hits this year and 26 doubles, good for a league-best .334 batting average. Throw in six triples, nine homers and 17 steals, and you can sense the havoc he creates.
The Brewers took two of three in Miami, though it required a wild win in 10 innings on April 17, when Garrett Mitchell provided a key two-run double after the Marlins dropped a potential out at the plate.
Brandon Woodruff delivered the Brewers a 5-2 win in Game 2, and Milwaukee dropped the finale, 5-3, with Jacob Misiorowski on the hill.
The July 17 game will serve as Niche de Cerveceros at American Family Field. On July 18, the Brewers will give away a Brandon Woodruff "trading-card" bobblehead to the first 25,000 fans. July 19 will serve as Paw Patrol Day.
The Brewers will host the New York Mets (40-57), and quite likely former Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta, in a July 20-22 series. After a day off, it'll be the Colorado Rockies (39-59) heading to town July 24-26. Those two teams have the worst two records in the National League. Milwaukee closes July by leaving for a two-city West Coast road trip.
Peralta is tentatively slated to make his American Family Field return on Monday, July 20, and it's possible he faces off with Misiorowski.
It's 62 to win the National League Central and 59 to clinch a playoff spot. Any combination of Brewers wins or losses by the first team on the outside looking in – at the moment, that's the Chicago Cubs for the division and the St. Louis Cardinals for the playoff spot – adding up to that number will seal the deal for the Brewers.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers start second half vs Marlins this weekend. Miami's pretty good
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The Brewers (59-37) are coming off a sweep by the Pittsburgh Pirates but still have the second-best record in baseball. It's a similar plight to the Marlins, who have also been cooking but also come into the battle on a three-game losing streak.
The Brewers haven't played a game at American Family Field since July 2, followed by a three-city road trip and the all-star break.
Here's what to know about the Brewers' series against the Marlins to open the second half:
Who will be pitching in the Brewers vs Marlins series?
- Friday, July 17: Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (10-5, 3.99 ERA) vs. Brewers RHP Logan Henderson (3-1, 3.18 ERA), 6:40 p.m. CT
- Saturday, July 18: Marlins RHP Max Meyer (9-1, 2.58 ERA) vs. Brewers LHP Shane Drohan (4-3, 3.09 ERA), 3:10 p.m. CT
- Sunday, July 19: Marlins RHP Eury Pérez (5-7, 3.78 ERA) vs. Brewers LHP Robert Gasser (2-4, 5.24 ERA). 1:10 p.m. CT
These Miami Marlins are for real
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Miami comes into the game at 52-45, third place in the National League East and owner of a wild-card spot if the season ended today. Miami sits one game ahead of St. Louis for that last spot and two games behind Philadelphia in the pecking order.
The Marlins were white-hot in June, going 20-6, and that didn't stop with a six-game winning streak early in July. But then the team scored five runs in three games and got swept at the hands of Cleveland, despite allowing just 12 runs over that same three-game window.
Pitching has been a strength for the Marlins
The Brewers will be facing some red-hot pitchers in the series.
Eury Pérez, 23, threw seven perfect innings July 5, two starts ago, and hasn't allowed more than two runs in any start in his past six appearances, dating to mid-May since he battled through injury. For the year, he's got a 3.78 ERA and 1.144 WHIP.
All-star Max Meyer, who didn't pitch in the All-Star Game, has a 2.58 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 108 innings, and he likewise has gone seven outings allowing two or fewer runs. Then there's Sandy Alcantara, the 30-year-old former Cy Young winner, who's up to his usual good work with a 3.99 ERA over 131 innings, working deep into games.
The performances on the hill have nicely supplemented an offense that has 20 homers in July (second-most in MLB), striking out less than any other MLB team this month except Toronto and has found itself squarely in a playoff push.
Marlins' Otto Lopez has quietly become a star
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The 27-year-old second baseman was selected off waivers in 2024 by the Marlins and, boy, has that paid off. His 4.7 WAR according to Baseball Reference easily leads the team and ranks him sixth in all of baseball. Lopez has an NL-leading 127 hits this year and 26 doubles, good for a league-best .334 batting average. Throw in six triples, nine homers and 17 steals, and you can sense the havoc he creates.
How did the Brewers fare against the Marlins earlier this year?
The Brewers took two of three in Miami, though it required a wild win in 10 innings on April 17, when Garrett Mitchell provided a key two-run double after the Marlins dropped a potential out at the plate.
Brandon Woodruff delivered the Brewers a 5-2 win in Game 2, and Milwaukee dropped the finale, 5-3, with Jacob Misiorowski on the hill.
Brewers' promotions of note at American Family Field this weekend
The July 17 game will serve as Niche de Cerveceros at American Family Field. On July 18, the Brewers will give away a Brandon Woodruff "trading-card" bobblehead to the first 25,000 fans. July 19 will serve as Paw Patrol Day.
A few random things to note about the Miami Marlins
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- Esteury Ruiz, the former prospect who became the centerpiece of Milwaukee's deal to acquire William Contreras prior to 2023, is having a nice year with the Marlins. He's got an .836 OPS in 58 games and has stolen a team-best 20 bases, thrown out just three times. The Marlins are second in MLB in stolen bases.
- Jakob Marsee, a contender to get Rookie of the Year votes last year, has struggled to a .615 OPS, and though he has 19 steals, he's been thrown out a league-leading 10 times. He's got only five homers. Other promising young players like catcher Agustín Ramírez (minors) and former Cubs prospect Owen Caissie (hurt) aren't on the active roster.
- Only one pitcher on the roster has more than two saves, and it's Milwaukee-born Pete Fairbanks, who has 13. And yet, he's got a 6.83 ERA and has yielded seven homers in 29 innings.
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater alumnus Lake Bachar has appeared in 32 games this year for the Marlins, with a 3.58 ERA and 1.073 WHIP.
Who's next on the schedule for the Brewers?
The Brewers will host the New York Mets (40-57), and quite likely former Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta, in a July 20-22 series. After a day off, it'll be the Colorado Rockies (39-59) heading to town July 24-26. Those two teams have the worst two records in the National League. Milwaukee closes July by leaving for a two-city West Coast road trip.
Peralta is tentatively slated to make his American Family Field return on Monday, July 20, and it's possible he faces off with Misiorowski.
What's the Brewers' magic number to secure a playoff spot?
It's 62 to win the National League Central and 59 to clinch a playoff spot. Any combination of Brewers wins or losses by the first team on the outside looking in – at the moment, that's the Chicago Cubs for the division and the St. Louis Cardinals for the playoff spot – adding up to that number will seal the deal for the Brewers.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers start second half vs Marlins this weekend. Miami's pretty good
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