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Game Thread #119: Milwaukee Brewers (67-51) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (70-49)

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MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers
Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

Brewers look to settle down in game two

The Milwaukee Brewers still have a realistic chance of catching the Los Angeles Dodgers (or Philadelphia Phillies) for one of the bye positions in the National League playoff bracket. They have a great opportunity to make up ground on L.A. this week, but if they want to “swim with the sharks,” as Pat Murphy put it, they’ll need to overcome the moment, settle down, and put some good at-bats together.

After a 5-2 loss in game one of this four-game set on Monday evening, the Brewers will look to reverse their fortunes behind the arm of Code Red, Colin Rea, who has been fantastic in his last four starts (just four runs allowed and 30 strikeouts across 23 innings). On the hill for the Dodgers will be the man who has been one of their steadiest rotation presences this season, Gavin Stone. Stone is a 25-year-old right-hander who pitched 31 innings in the big leagues last year and maintains rookie status this year. He’s been the very definition of solid: in 21 starts, he’s got a 3.71 ERA and 4.06 FIP, he doesn’t walk too many guys, he doesn’t give up too many homers, and he even threw a shutout this season. But things have been a little rockier since that shutout on June 26; in six starts since then, he’s completed six innings just once and he is 0-3 with a 6.91 ERA.

Tyler Black, who hasn’t played in the big leagues since June 29, is back in the lineup tonight after he was added to the roster in place of Blake Perkins (who was put on the 10-day IL) yesterday. Despite coming off a little bit of a cold streak at Triple-A Nashville, he’ll be thrown right into the fire tonight, as he’ll bat cleanup. The Shoehi Ohtani-Mookie Betts-Freddie Freeman gauntlet remains in place for Los Angeles for just the second time since mid-June after Betts’ return yesterday.

First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. on Bally Sports Wisconsin, but for those of you outside of the market, this one is also on TBS. As always, you can also find it on the Brewers Radio Network.