The Milwaukee Brewers are heading to Washington to face the Nationals, and they’re bringing some serious momentum after William Contreras’ red-hot four-hit performance on Thursday.
It’s a battle of two clubs trying to find their footing early in the season. The Brewers sit at 16-14, good for fourth in the NL Central, while the Nationals are just a game under .500 at 15-17, holding down third in the NL East. Washington has struggled at home with a 3-10 record, but they’ve been tough when they out-hit opponents, going 10-3 in those contests. Milwaukee, meanwhile, has been solid on the road at 6-6 and boasts an 11-3 record when they rack up at least eight hits.
On the mound, it’s a matchup of young arms with contrasting resumes. The Brewers will send Jacob Misiorowski to the hill. Despite a 1-2 record, his 3.31 ERA and 1.10 WHIP are impressive, and he’s already racked up 51 strikeouts, showing he can miss bats in a big way. The Nationals counter with Jake Irvin, who’s struggled to a 1-3 mark and a 4.85 ERA, though his 1.18 WHIP suggests he’s been a bit unlucky. The betting lines favor Milwaukee heavily at -159, with the over/under set at 8 runs.
Keep an eye on the top performers. For Washington, rookie sensation James Wood has been crushing it with 10 home runs and 24 RBIs, while Curtis Mead has been hot lately, going 6-for-27 with three homers and seven RBIs in his last 10 games. For the Brewers, Brice Turang leads the team with a .291 average, and Contreras has been on fire, hitting 11-for-39 with a homer and nine RBIs over his last 10 contests.
Both teams come in with similar recent form—the Nationals are 5-5 in their last 10, while the Brewers are 4-6. But Milwaukee has been outscoring opponents by 17 runs in that stretch, compared to Washington’s slim +3 margin, suggesting the Brewers might be due for a breakout.
Injury-wise, both clubs are banged up. The Nationals are without key arms like Trevor Williams, Josiah Gray, and DJ Herz, while the Brewers are missing stars like Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio, plus several pitchers. Depth will be tested as this series continues.
Friday’s game marks the fourth meeting between these teams this season, and with Contreras swinging a hot bat and Misiorowski dealing, the Brewers look poised to make some noise in the nation’s capital.