Milwaukee's 68 Home Runs and Nobody in the NL Is Ready For How They're Winning
Holy cow, Seattle, did you see that?! The Milwaukee Brewers are out here playing some wild, gritty baseball, and it's absolutely working. They just snagged a 2-1 win in extra innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, with Jake Bauers crossing home plate on a Joey Ortiz sacrifice fly in the 10th. This team, man, they've got an identity, all about grinding out victories.
The Brewers' Unconventional Grind is Working
As the halfway point of the season rolls up, the Brewers are showing the rest of the league exactly who they are. They're playing small-ball, pure and simple, and it's paying off big time. Think about this: they're third in MLB with 399 runs scored. But get this: they also have the fewest home runs in the entire NL, sitting at just 68! Yet, they're crushing it, holding a five-game lead over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals and a whopping 10 1/2-game advantage on those last-place Reds. That Monday night win was a perfect snapshot of this squad. As Joey Ortiz, the guy who hit that go-ahead sac fly, put it, "We trust each other. We know the next guy is going to get the job done. And if he doesn't, then the next guy will. We all believe in each other." Big confidence!
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Mound Struggles Setting Up a Wild Rematch
Now, for Tuesday's rematch, we've got pitching drama. Right-hander Brandon Sproat (1-4, 5.94 ERA) is on the mound for Milwaukee, still seeking his second career win. Last time out, he barely made it 3 2/3 innings against the Guardians, giving up four runs. He later said a right hamstring cramp in the fourth was the culprit, describing it as "dumb as it sounds to be a cramp, it really (stinks), but it's the best thing." Sproat's struggled going deep, hitting five innings in just four of 14 appearances since his January trade. He faced the Reds once with the Mets, yielding three runs in a loss last September.
The Reds counter with struggling lefty Nick Lodolo (2-2, 6.12 ERA). He’s been trying to find his 2025 form (3.33 ERA) since returning May 8 from a left index finger blister. June has been brutal: 0-1 with a 7.80 ERA over three starts. Last Wednesday, he gave up season highs of seven runs and eleven hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Mets. Lodolo admitted, "I'm trying to get better. It starts with location." He holds a decent 2.84 ERA in six career appearances against Milwaukee, maybe a spark for Cincy.
What's at Stake Tuesday Night?
So, with Tuesday night's game being the second of this three-game series, you know both teams are going to be scrapping. Can the Brewers keep their small-ball magic going and push their lead even further? Or will Lodolo finally find his groove and help the Reds snap out of it? This is gonna be a good one, folks. Tune in and see if this Brewers identity keeps defying expectations!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.