After a series in Milwaukee, the two teams meet in Atlanta a week later
It’s been a whole four days since these two teams matched up. In a scheduling quirk this season, the two non-division opponents are playing for the second time in three series. This will be the last time these two teams meet in the regular season, but still could be a preview for a potential postseason matchup.
Not much has changed between the two teams in the few days between series. At the end of the previous series, right before the trade deadline, the Braves acquired Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson from the Giants. They were both present in the final game of the last series, though Jackson did not appear.
While the Brewers played the Nationals over the weekend, the Braves had a four-game series against the Marlins. They went 2-2 in the series, taking the first two games before losing the last two. They were outscored 16-12 in the series, with the last game of that series a 7-0 shutout by the Marlins. Max Fried returned for the Braves in that series but was hit hard in Sunday’s game and will not appear in this series.
Probable Pitcher Matchups
Tuesday, August 6 @ 6:20 p.m: Colin Rea (3.59 ERA, 4.45 FIP) vs. Chris Sale (2.71 ERA, 2.32 FIP)
In the last series, Colin Rea started the one game that the Brewers won against the Braves. While he took a no-decision in that game, he kept the Braves in check over 5 1⁄3 innings. He allowed just two runs (both on solo home runs) and allowed three hits and two walks as well.
The Brewers will still have to face Chris Sale in this series. They got to him early in Wednesday’s game, scoring two runs in the first inning. However, the Brewers couldn’t score again with him on the mound despite having several chances. They recorded six hits and three walks off of him in 5 2⁄3 innings, and he had an average performance with just six strikeouts.
Wednesday, August 7 @ 6:20 p.m: Freddy Peralta (3.98 ERA, 3.96 FIP) vs. Charlie Morton (3.94 ERA, 4.35 FIP)
A good version of Freddy Peralta showed up when he faced the Braves last week. While he did allow two solo home runs, those were the only runs he allowed. He also allowed a total of three hits and two walks, striking out seven in that start.
Charlie Morton is a familiar opponent for the Brewers from his years with the Pirates. This will be his 18th career start against the Brewers. He has a 3.91 ERA in his career against them. The last time the Brewers faced him was 2022, when he pitched five scoreless innings. While he allowed just one unearned run in his last start against the Marlins, he has allowed at least four runs in three of his last five starts. Over that span, he has also allowed seven home runs, though five of those came on the road.
Thursday, August 8 @ 11:20 a.m: Frankie Montas vs. Spencer Schwellenbach (4.04 ERA, 3.46 FIP)
After a decent debut in Washington on Friday, Montas will get his second start as a Brewer. It wasn’t the best game, but he held the Nationals to three runs in five innings. Montas has faced the Braves this season, and it was in the last few weeks. On July 24 with the Reds, he allowed four runs, 10 hits, and three walks in 4 1⁄3 innings.
Spencer Schwellenbach is a rookie for the Braves this season, making his 12th career major league start. He entered the 2024 season as the No. 3 prospect on the Braves’ minor league prospect rankings, according to MLB.com. He has worked through some early struggles and his results have improved as the season has gone on. In his last five starts, he’s posted a 2.45 ERA and 2.92 FIP. Opponents are batting .203/.210/.358 against him in that span. He’s also had two-consecutive double-digit strikeout games and a 9.7 K/9 rate this season overall.
Prediction
This is a tough one to see going well. The Brewers have lost three straight series and they’re playing a team that just beat them at home. While I’m hope I’m wrong on this one, I’m predicting a fourth straight series loss here, again by a 2-1 margin.