Jake Bauers Is Absolutely Raking — Can the Brewers Keep the Good Times Rolling vs. Seattle?
The Milwaukee Brewers are riding a wave of momentum, and Jake Bauers is the guy holding the surfboard. Four hits on Sunday? Yeah, that happened. The man is seeing beach balls, not baseballs. Now he and the Crew are back at American Family Field to welcome the Seattle Mariners in a cross-conference showdown that has NL Central dominance written all over it.
The Brewers are sitting pretty at 77-48, owning the top spot in the NL Central. At home they've been outright bullies, going 41-22. When they go deep twice or more? Forget about it — 23-9. Power is the name of the game, and Bauers is the poster child with 21 bombs and a .500 slugging clip.
On the Bump
Milwaukee hands the ball to Kyle Harrison, who's been quietly dealing all season. The lefty sits at 9-3 with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, racking up 114 strikeouts. He's got the stuff to quiet a Mariners lineup that's been struggling to find a pulse.
Seattle counters with Bryce Miller. The right-hander is 4-6 with a 3.39 ERA, but his 0.99 WHIP shows he's been better than the record. Still, this is a Brewers lineup that just feasted, and Miller will have his hands full.
Who's Hot
Besides Bauers, keep an eye on Brice Turang. The infielder is 10-for-41 over his last 10 games with three doubles and seven RBI. That's production when it matters.
For Seattle, Julio Rodriguez remains the main threat. He's got 19 homers and a .426 slugging percentage. Randy Arozarena has been streaky — 8-for-40 with three bombs in the last 10 — but when he connects, it travels.
The Cold Hard Numbers
The Brewers are 5-5 in their last 10, batting .221 with a 4.14 ERA. Not exactly dominant, but they're winning the games that matter.
The Mariners? Whew. They're 3-7 in their last 10, hitting .229 with a 4.80 ERA and getting outscored by 20 runs. That's not a playoff resume.
This is the first meeting between these two teams this season, and you can bet the Brewers want to set the tone early.
Injuries are a thing, and both squads have their share. The Brewers are missing some arms, including Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester on the 60-day IL, plus Sal Frelick and Cooper Pratt. The Mariners are dealing with J.P. Crawford and Luke Raley on the shelf, plus a bunch of others. Depth will be tested.
Bottom line? The Brewers are at home, they've got the hotter bat in Bauers, and the Mariners look like a team that left their energy on the West Coast. Expect a rowdy crowd in Milwaukee and a Brewers squad ready to pounce.
First pitch is at 7:40 p.m. EDT. Don't blink.