After a short three-game homestand, the Brewers are back on the road for a quick four-game road trip. They will head to Cincinnati for their final four games against the Reds this season. This includes a doubleheader on Friday, which has a makeup game that was rained out in early April.
The Reds are coming off of a 2-1 series loss to the Athletics. They lost the first two games of the series before pulling off a ninth-inning rally to walk off on Thursday. The Reds are 12-14 in August and 16-20 in the second half, and have fallen out of the playoff race. They are 13 1⁄2 games back in the NL Central and 9 1⁄2 games back from the final the Wild Card spot.
So far this season, the Brewers are 6-3 against the Reds. Each series has been a 2-1 victory for the Brewers. They first met in early April in Cincinnati, with the Brewers taking two of three in what was originally a four-game series. Two months later, they met in Milwaukee and the Brewers took another two of three. The last series between the two was in early August, and the Brewers took another two of three.
Injuries have decimated the Reds since the last series between the two teams. Here is a list of players that have been placed on the IL.
- RHP Hunter Greene (8/14, right elbow soreness) - Return date TBD.
- RHP Christian Roa (8/19, right shoulder sprain) - Out for the season.
- 3B Jeimer Candelario (8/20, left big toe fracture) - Return date TBD.
- CF Jake Fraley (8/22, right knee sprain) - Expected to return 8/31.
- LHP Andrew Abbott (8/23, left shoulder sprain) - Expected to return in September.
- LHP Nick Lodolo (8/24, left middle finger sprain) - May return late September.
- OF Stuart Fairchild (8/26, torn left thumb ligament) - Out for the season.
That’s just the injuries since the last series. Another nine players are on the IL as well. Some are expected to return this season, but others are out for the year.
They still have plenty of threats on the team, though. Elly De La Cruz is leading the offense with 22 home runs and 61 stolen bases this season. Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson are threats at the plate with 19 and 17 home runs, respectively. Santiago Espinal is another player to watch. He’s heated up since the All-Star Break, batting .405/.436/.581 with a 179 wRC+.
Meanwhile, the injuries have the rotation in a very tough situation. Four of their starting pitchers with 15-plus starts this season are on the IL, and the fifth is Frankie Montas, who was traded to the Brewers. They have starters for the doubleheader tomorrow, but beyond that is still to be determined. Carson Spiers and Jakob Junis could make starts or at least eat some innings. Brandon Leibrandt was added before Thursday’s game, but did pitch 2 1⁄3 innings in that game.
Some support may come from the Sept. 1 roster expansion, where every team can add one additional pitcher and position player from their 40-man roster. Randy Wynne and Justus Sheffield are potential options at Triple-A.
Weather is also a concern in this series. Friday’s forecast in Cincinnati has a high of 98°F with a heat index over 100°F. Cooler weather arrives on Saturday, but with a chance of rain all day. Sunday will still be a hot day with a projected high of 88°F, but with much less humidity.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, August 30 @ 11:40 a.m: Colin Rea (3.61 ERA, 4.50 FIP) vs. Nick Martinez (3.62 ERA, 3.44 FIP)
Colin Rea has been up and down through the month of August. He’s put together two scoreless starts with seven innings, but also has had starts like his last one, where he allowed four runs to the Athletics. One thing he has done is eat innings, with all four of his August starts going at least six frames. Rea’s lone start against the Reds this season came on June 16. He allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings that day.
Nick Martinez has jumped between the bullpen and starting rotation this season, but is one of the Reds lone healthy starters at this point. The Brewers saw his good side last time they faced him, as he pitched seven scoreless innings in the Brewers' 1-0 win on August 10. The Reds will need him to eat some innings in this start, though he only pitched three innings in his last start against the Pirates.
Friday, August 30 @ 5:40 p.m: TBD vs. Rhett Lowder (MLB Debut)
The Brewers have not announced their starter for the second game yet, but there’s a strong possibility it will be DL Hall. Adam McCalvy reports that Hall is with the team. Whether he starts game two or not might depend on what happens in game one. Hall’s last major league start came against the Reds on August 11. He allowed three runs in 4 2⁄3 innings and struck out nine. He’s made two starts in the minors since then. He allowed just one run in six innings on August 18, but allowed six runs in 2 2⁄3 innings on August 24.
The Reds are expected to call up Rhett Lowder to make the start in game two of the doubleheader. Lowder is the No. 2 prospect in the Reds organization and No. 35 overall (per MLB.com). At 22 years old, he’s only in his first professional season, but quickly rose through the system. He only has 22 minor league starts, with 16 coming at Double-A and only one at Triple-A. Lowder has a fastball that sits in the 92-95 MPH range, maxing out around 97 MPH. He also has a strong changeup in the mid-80s and a slider in the low-80s.
Saturday, August 31 @ 6:15 p.m: Frankie Montas (4.64 ERA, 4.53 FIP) vs. TBD
Frankie Montas has seen a strong improvement in his stats since arriving in Milwaukee. With just the Brewers this season, he has a 3.33 ERA and 3.17 FIP. His strikeout rate is up to 9.3 K/9, and his walk rate has dropped to 3.3 BB/9. Like Rea, he faced a bit of trouble last time out, allowing four runs in six innings against the Athletics, though that all came in one inning that arguably shouldn't have happened thanks to some unfortunate umpiring behind the plate.
Sunday, September 1 @ 11:10 a.m: Tobias Myers (2.99 ERA, 4.15 FIP) vs. TBD
Tobias Myers continues to pitch well for the Brewers this season, though the month of August has been a bit tougher for him. In his last three starts, he’s allowed at least two runs in each. Last time against the Giants, he allowed three runs in five innings. His best August start came last time he faced the Reds, where he went 7 1⁄3 scoreless innings on August 10. That is the only time he has faced the Reds this season.
Prediction
The Reds are limping to the finish this season. Their roster is decimated with injuries and they’re nearly out of the playoff race completely. The Brewers definitely have the advantage here, but the Reds are tough enough that they will still make it a challenge. Despite that, I’ll predict a 3-1 series win.