The Milwaukee Brewers are set to begin June with a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, concluding a six-game road trip. The Brewers enter this matchup riding a seven-game winning streak, which includes recent sweeps of the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies. Currently, they stand at 32-28, just 1.5 games away from securing a National League Wild Card spot.
On the other hand, the Reds recently completed a challenging stretch against the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals, finishing at 4-5, which keeps them around the .500 mark with a 29-31 record for the season.
Following the return of pitcher José Quintana, the Brewers are experiencing their healthiest roster this season, with additional reinforcements on the horizon. Brandon Woodruff is projected to make what is hoped to be his final rehab start soon, while infielder Tyler Black is also expected to begin his rehab assignment shortly. However, the team still faces some injury challenges as outfielders Blake Perkins and Garrett Mitchell are likely to be sidelined until late June or July.
The Reds will be missing several players including Jeimer Candelario, Austin Hays, and Noelvi Marte due to various injuries. Christian Encarnacion-Strand is on a rehab assignment and expected to return soon, while a few pitchers remain on the injured list.
Highlighting the Brewers’ recent success, Christian Yelich has returned to form, significantly contributing to the team’s offense. He’s hitting impressively over the last 13 games, and other players like Jackson Chourio and Rhys Hoskins have also performed well. As a team, Milwaukee’s offensive stats show a mixture of solid run production but a need for improvement in batting average and home runs.
On the pitching side, the Brewers’ staff has been effective, particularly their bullpen, with several pitchers showcasing strong ERAs. In comparison, the Reds’ bullpen has been solid, led by Tony Santillan, while starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft’s performance has recently dipped.
The series will feature notable matchups such as Aaron Civale facing off against Brady Singer on Monday, followed by Freddy Peralta against Hunter Greene on Tuesday. The Brewers have yet to announce a starter for Wednesday’s finale, but the performances of pitchers like Andrew Abbott could play a crucial role in the outcome.
Baseball fans can catch the action through various channels, including FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, FS1, and MLB.TV. As the Brewers continue their impressive run, optimism fills the air that they can maintain their momentum against a resilient Reds team, making for an exciting series ahead.