Brewers Lead By 1.5 Games Enter Dodgers Vs Brewers Series
The Dodgers arrived for dodgers vs brewers in Milwaukee after taking two of three from the Padres and getting an off day. The Brewers opened the three-game set with a 1.5-game lead in the NL Central, and they entered with a style that has not relied on home runs.
Milwaukee’s Low-Power Edge
Milwaukee had 33 home runs, the fewest of any team in MLB so far this season, yet still sat atop the division by 1.5 games over the Chicago Cubs. The club also had the fewest total extra base hits in the majors, the highest ground-ball rate in MLB, and the fourth lowest strikeout rate.
That profile made the matchup different from a power-heavy opponent. The Brewers were tied for third in on-base percentage and ranked fourth in team batting average with runners in scoring position, which helps explain why they kept winning without much long-ball damage.
Yelich Churio Vaughn Return
Christian Yelich, Jackson Churio and Andrew Vaughn were back in the Brewers lineup after missing significant time this season to injury. Their return gave Milwaukee more of the names it had been waiting on while it kept taking games from division rivals, including a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley.
Friday also brought a starter who had worked as well as the standings suggest. Logan Henderson was scheduled for Milwaukee, and since returning from Triple-A he had allowed two or fewer runs and gone at least five innings in all three outings, with 20 strikeouts and two walks.
Wrobleski’s Road Run
Justin Wrobleski was set for the Dodgers, and his numbers on the road have been stronger than ordinary rotation depth. He had gone 4-0 away from home with a 1.50 ERA, and he had worked at least six innings in his last six starts.
That put a rested Dodgers bullpen behind him after the off day, while the Dodgers tried to keep the momentum from Wednesday’s 4-0 win over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Milwaukee’s contact-heavy approach and Wrobleski’s run of length on the road set up the series opener as a matchup of different strengths rather than a simple power test.
