Reds vs Brewers Preview: Independence Day Showdown in Milwaukee

The Reds are in trouble. They're sitting at 39-45 with losses piling up—three straight defeats hitting hard. Chase Burns gets the ball Thursday night, and Cincinnati needs him to be sharp. The offense showed flashes this series. Elly De La Cruz crushed a 412-foot home run on Sunday, and earlier that game Stewart went deep twice across the first two matchups. But raw power won't cut it against Milwaukee's tough pitchers. The Reds have to find a way to string hits together and build innings. This is a big moment for Cincinnati to flip the switch and start climbing back.

The Brewers are on fire. They're 52-31 with two straight wins, and their home field is practically a fortress at 28-17. Milwaukee just dominated Cincinnati 7-2 on Monday, with offense everywhere. Salvador Perez's sluggers—Bauers, Chourio, Ortiz—are all swinging hot bats. Sal Frelick and Brent Contreras are setting things up. Jacob Misiorowski takes the mound Thursday as the Brewers' ace-in-training. He's got the kind of arm that can take over games. Milwaukee wants to keep pounding opponents and proving they're serious contenders in the National League.

Chase Burns is Cincinnati's answer Thursday. He needs to pitch deep into the game and keep Milwaukee's bats quiet early. The Brewers just put up seven runs on Monday—Burns can't let that happen again. Stewart and De La Cruz have shown they can hit the ball far, but they'll need run support to win. If Burns stays calm and attacks the strike zone, Cincinnati has a real shot. This game matters. A win stops the bleeding and gets the Reds pointed in the right direction heading into the long summer.