Game Thread #122: Milwaukee Brewers (69-52) vs. Cleveland Guardians (72-49)

League-leading Guardians come for Players’ Weekend

The Brewers kick off Players’ Weekend with the first of a three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians.

Milwaukee sends out Aaron Civale for the start against Cleveland. The Guardians stand atop the MLB standings with a 72-49 win. Civale was a Guardian from his debut season in 2019 until he was traded to the Rays in 2023. In his last start, he pitched 6 ¹⁄₃ innings while allowing just two earned runs with five strikeouts. He’s had a difficult start to his Brewers tenure, but he has allowed two runs or less in three of his last five starts.

Brice Turang takes the leadoff spot again after two impact performances. While he struggled for much of the second half, his resurgence could be an incredible boon for the lineup in Christian Yelich’s absence. Turang will patrol the infield with Joey Ortiz, Willy Adames, and Rhys Hoskins.

Garrett Mitchell will start once again in center field. With Yelich out, Mitchell is set to receive plenty of opportunities in the starting lineup. Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick will resume their usual roles in left and right field, respectively.

Behind the plate, William Contreras will bat cleanup. He’s been blasting the ball lately with a 1.234 OPS over his last 10 games, including a .350 batting average with four home runs. Tyler Black will be the designated hitter, slotting in just ahead of Contreras in the order.

First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. on Bally Sports Wisconsin and the Brewers Radio Network.