Despite slumping offense, Brewers increase division lead with 3-3 week
Last Week’s Results
- Monday: Cubs 3, Brewers 1
- Tuesday: Brewers 1, Cubs 0
- Wednesday: Brewers 3, Cubs 2
- Friday: Marlins 6, Brewers 2
- Saturday: Marlins 7, Brewers 3
- Sunday: Brewers 6, Marlins 2
Division Standings
- Brewers 60-45
- Cardinals 54-51 (6 GB)
- Pirates 53-52 (7 GB)
- Cubs 51-56 (10 GB)
- Reds 47-53 (10.5 GB)
Last Week
- Brewers: 3-3
- Cardinals: 2-4
- Pirates: 3-3
- Cubs: 3-3
- Reds: 3-2
Top Pitching Performance of the Week
Colin Rea didn’t have his best performance of the season on Tuesday, but he was effective, scattering four hits and two walks across five scoreless innings, and he brought his swing-and-miss stuff to the tune of eight strikeouts. Things got a bit interesting late, but Bryan Hudson, Elvis Peguero, Jared Koenig, and Trevor Megill combined with Rea to shut out the Cubs in a 1-0 victory.
Top Hitting Performance of the Week
While the Brewers’ offense sputtered this week, Rhys Hoskins showed signs of life. After home runs on Friday and Saturday, he had a hit, two walks, and an RBI sacrifice fly on Sunday afternoon. That makes three homers and seven RBI in the last seven games for Hoskins, who has struggled badly since returning from the injured list on May 31. Getting him up to speed would go a long way toward offsetting the loss of Christian Yelich.
Injury Notes & Roster Moves
- The big news of the week, both good and bad, comes from the bullpen. The Brewers made their first trade deadline move and traded for right-handed reliever Nick Mears. Milwaukee sent minor league pitchers Bradley Blalock (who was on the 40-man roster) and Yujanyer Herrera to Colorado in the deal.
- The bullpen was bolstered from within, too: Devin Williams is back! He made his long-awaited return to the Brewer bullpen on Sunday and threw a scoreless inning in their 6-2 victory.
- But there’s some bad news in the bullpen: Bryan Hudson, who struggled in July, was placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to July 24 with a left oblique strain. Fellow left-handed reliever Rob Zastryzny was also placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow tendinitis.
- One of those roster spots went to Janson Junk, who pitched in losses on Friday and Saturday and was designated for assignment on Sunday when Williams was activated. The other spot went to lefty Tyler Jay, who was acquired from the New York Mets last week, but Jay was optioned back to Nashville after the team acquired Mears. In other injury news from the bullpen, JB Bukauskas was sent out on a rehab assignment.
- The other big injury news of the week is that Christian Yelich was placed back on the IL on July 24 because of his back. Yelich was weighing the option of season-ending surgery, but for now, has elected a rest and rehab approach that would likely enable him to return before the end of the season. Surgery remains an option in the offseason.
- Gary Sánchez was activated from the IL on Wednesday and returned to action that night.
- Milwaukee also signed a whole bunch of draft picks.
See all injuries and roster moves via MLB.com here.
On Deck
- Monday: vs. Braves (7:10 p.m.)
- Tuesday: vs. Braves (7:10 p.m.)
- Wednesday: vs. Braves (1:10 p.m.)
- Friday: @ Nationals (5:45 p.m.)
- Saturday: @ Nationals (3:05 p.m.)
- Sunday: @ Nationals (12:35 p.m.)