The Milwaukee Brewers are set to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers for three games in Milwaukee beginning Monday evening. The series marks the start of the last homestand in the first half for the Crew, as they’ll wrap up the week with the Nationals before the All-Star break next week.

The Brewers are coming off a 3-3 road trip that included series against the Mets (1-2) and Marlins (2-1). They currently sit in second place in the NL Central and in the second NL Wild Card spot at 50-40 overall.

The Dodgers, at 56-35, have the best record in the NL. They were red hot entering their weekend series with Houston, winning 18 of their last 23 games before being swept by the Astros. They have a comfortable 7.5-game lead over the Padres and Giants in the NL West.

With Brandon Woodruff now back in the mix for Milwaukee, the biggest name currently on the IL is Nestor Cortes, who is on a rehab assignment and could rejoin the rotation after the All-Star break. First baseman Rhys Hoskins was just placed on the IL with a thumb sprain, while outfielder Blake Perkins suffered an injury setback with a groin strain during his rehab assignment. Reliever Rob Zastryzny and starter Robert Gasser are also on the IL with returns expected in the next month or two.

The Dodgers are without starter Blake Snell and reliever Blake Treinen, both of whom are expected to begin rehab assignments this week. Tyler Glasnow is also nearing a return, while third baseman Max Muncy went down with a bone bruise in his knee and is expected to miss all of July. Beyond that, the Dodgers have plenty of other pitching injuries, with Michael Kopech, Roki Sasaki, Tony Gonsolin, Evan Phillips, Kyle Hurt, Brusdar Graterol, River Ryan, Gavin Stone, and Michael Grove all on the IL. None of them are expected to return before the All-Star break.

Christian Yelich leads the Brewers’ offense with 17 homers and a .260/.335/.452 line, driving in 61 runs, scoring 45 runs, and swiping 13 steals. Jackson Chourio has also had a solid season, hitting .260/.293/.459 with 15 homers, 24 doubles, 55 RBIs, 59 runs, and 16 steals. William Contreras, Sal Frelick, Joey Ortiz, and Brice Turang have also been key everyday contributors, along with Isaac Collins and Caleb Durbin. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .247/.322/.381 (.703 OPS ranks tied for 18th) with 86 homers (tied for 22nd), 420 runs (eighth), and 104 steals (tied for second).

The Dodgers’ offense is obviously led by perennial MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani, who is hitting .281/.384/.617 with 30 homers, 12 doubles, seven triples, 56 RBIs, 86 runs, and 12 steals. Andy Pages has turned in a solid year with a .293/.332/.503 line with 17 homers, while Teoscar Hernández, Will Smith, Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, and Freddie Freeman have also been solid. As a team, the Dodgers are hitting .260/.336/.454 (.790 OPS ranks tied for first) with 141 homers (first), 500 runs scored (first), and 49 steals (tied for 21st).

The Brewers’ bullpen has stayed mostly healthy this season, with five players who have 34-plus appearances. Abner Uribe leads the way with 43 appearances, striking out 58 batters in 43 innings. Jared Koenig’s 4.04 ERA is the worst of the group, but he’s mostly been reliable, while Grant Anderson (2.82 ERA) and Nick Mears (2.50 ERA) have also been strong. Trevor Megill has a 2.56 ERA and 20 saves in 23 opportunities, while DL Hall and Aaron Ashby have both been solid since rejoining the squad. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.77 team ERA (10th), including a 3.51 starter ERA (sixth) and a 4.08 reliever ERA (19th). They’ve struck out 764 batters (12th) over 798 1⁄3 innings.

Closer Tanner Scott leads the Dodgers with 42 games, as he has a 3.76 ERA and 18 saves in 23 opportunities. Alex Vesia also has 42 appearances with a 2.75 ERA, 50 strikeouts, and three saves. Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer, and Kirby Yates have also been solid, while Lou Trivino, Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius, and Will Klein round out the injury-depleted bullpen. As a staff, the Dodgers have a 4.33 team ERA (23rd), including a 4.21 starter ERA (21st) and a 4.46 reliever ERA (24th). They’ve struck out 803 batters (sixth) over 813 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Monday, July 7 @ 6:40 p.m.: Freddy Peralta (2.91 ERA, 3.84 FIP) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.51 ERA, 3.10 FIP)

Peralta is turning in one of the best seasons of his career, as he has a 2.91 ERA, 3.84 FIP, and 104 strikeouts through 99 innings. He’s also tied for the league lead with nine wins, as he’s accumulated 2.4 bWAR, nearly matching his 2024 total (2.5) in 14 fewer starts. He’s earned the win in each of his last four outings, and he’s coming off a six-inning, two-run outing against the Mets when he struck out six. While his pitch counts continue to be a concern, he’s cut down on walks, with no more than two walks in any of his last five starts. Peralta has made six career starts against the Dodgers, with a 3.30 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 30 innings.

Yamamoto, 26, is coming off a solid rookie year in which he turned in a 3.00 ERA and 2.61 FIP with 105 strikeouts across 90 innings. This season, he’s pitching to similar numbers, with a 2.51 ERA, 3.10 FIP, and 109 strikeouts over 96 2⁄3 innings. He’s won his last two starts, allowing just one run and striking out 14 over 12 innings against the Rockies and White Sox. This is his first career start against the Brewers.

Tuesday, July 8 @ 6:40 p.m.: Jacob Misiorowski (3.20 ERA, 4.46 FIP) vs. Clayton Kershaw (3.43 ERA, 4.34 FIP)

Less than two weeks after we got to see Jacob Misiorowski go up against Paul Skenes, we’ll get to see him go head-to-head with another star pitcher in Clayton Kershaw. Through four starts, Miz has a 3.20 ERA, 4.46 FIP, and 21 strikeouts across 19 2⁄3 innings. He’s coming off the worst game of his young career, as he allowed five runs via a pair of homers with two strikeouts over 3 2⁄3 innings in a loss to the Mets. This is his first career start against the Dodgers.

At age 37, Clayton Kershaw is still chugging along in his 18th MLB season. He just eclipsed 3,000 strikeouts, though he’s having the worst season of his career by FIP (4.34). Through nine starts, he has a 3.43 ERA with 32 strikeouts over 44 2⁄3 innings. The Dodgers have won each of his last six starts, spanning back to the end of May. In his last start against the White Sox, he went six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk with three strikeouts. He’s made 19 career starts against the Brewers, with a 9-5 record, 2.85 ERA, and 124 strikeouts over 116 2⁄3 innings.

Wednesday, July 9 @ 1:10 p.m.: Jose Quintana (3.44 ERA, 4.42 FIP) vs. Dustin May (4.52 ERA, 4.54 FIP)

Quintana has stepped into a solid veteran role this year with Milwaukee, as he’s made 12 starts with a 3.44 ERA, 4.42 FIP, and 44 strikeouts over 65 1⁄3 innings. He’s coming off a loss against the Mets, as he allowed three runs on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts over 5 1⁄3 innings. He’s made 13 appearances (10 starts) against the Dodgers in his career, with a 2.04 ERA and 52 strikeouts across 61 2⁄3 innings.

May, who missed all of 2024 with a freak esophagus injury, has made 16 starts this season, already the most in his career. However, he hasn’t been great, as his 4.54 FIP is close to his career-worst mark of 4.62 from 2020. He also has a career-worst 4.52 ERA, though he has struck out 84 batters in 89 2⁄3 innings. He picked up the win against the White Sox last time out, allowing two runs and striking out nine across seven very efficient innings (86 pitches). He’s made just one start against the Brewers, back in 2021, when he went 1 2⁄3 innings with one run allowed and three strikeouts.

How to Watch

Monday, July 7: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network

Tuesday, July 8: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, nationally on TBS, and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network

Wednesday, July 9: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, MLB Network (out-of-market viewers), and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network

Prediction

This is a tough, tough series with a few great pitching matchups. I think it’ll come down to whether the Brewers’ offense shows up and produces in scoring situations. I’ll take the Dodgers to take two of three.