Guardians at Brewers Preview: Pitching Duel in Milwaukee

The Brewers came out swinging yesterday and dominated Cleveland 9-4. Watch out for Yelich—he smashed a home run to left center in the first inning and kept driving in runs all night. Milwaukee's bats were unstoppable. Frelick, Turang, and Chourio all went deep too. The Guardians fought back with Schneemann's three-run shot in the fourth, but it wasn't enough. Now Milwaukee is heading into Thursday riding a two-game winning streak. Cleveland just dropped their last game and sits at 39-34. The Brewers are 44-26 and looking sharp at home. This is a huge chance for Milwaukee to keep the momentum rolling.

The Guardians are hurting. Jose Ramirez, their star third baseman, had surgery on a broken bone in his hand and won't play for weeks. Chase DeLauter's rib fracture keeps him sidelined. Angel Martinez has a foot injury. The Guardians already lost two key outfielders and a crucial infielder. Their pitching staff is still strong—that's always been Cleveland's strength—but the lineup keeps getting thinner. Parker Messick takes the mound for the Guardians on Thursday. He has to pitch his best because the bats won't have their usual punch. Milwaukee's pitchers will face a lineup missing some serious power. This injury situation could shift the whole series in the Brewers' direction.

Milwaukee's rotation is built to win games like this one. Shane Drohan takes the ball Thursday for the Brewers. He'll face a Guardians lineup weakened by injuries. Meanwhile, the Brewers have depth everywhere—Trevor Megill closed out yesterday's win and remains locked in as their closer. The bullpen stayed fresh because Milwaukee jumped out to a huge lead early. Brand name starters like Jacob Misiorowski and Quinn Priester give the Brewers serious firepower. Cleveland's pitching is solid, but the Brewers' offense is clicking too. Milwaukee is 24-14 at home. That's a real home-field advantage. Everything points to a Brewers win Thursday if their bats show up again like they did yesterday.