Previewing a Showdown Against the Rangers

The Brewers will wrap up a nine-game road trip with a weekend series against one of MLB’s best: the Texas Rangers.

After battling the red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers, the tests keep coming for Milwaukee. At 72-49, the Rangers hold the second-best record in the American League. And, like the Dodgers, they’re in the midst of a dominant stretch of baseball.

Here’s what to look out for as the Crew heads to the Lone Star State.

Can the Crew Slow Down MLB’s Hottest Staff?

After an all-in approach at the trade deadline, there’s been no stopping this Rangers team.

The club addressed its pitching staff in a big way, adding future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer in a deal with the Mets and prying Jordan Montgomery from the Cardinals staff for prospects. Since then, the results speak for themselves: Texas is 12-3 in August.

Much of that success can be attributed to the revamped rotation. Scherzer is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA since his Rangers debut, and Montgomery is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA in his first three starts with Texas. Both acquisitions have spearheaded August’s hottest pitching staff to a 2.07 team ERA this month.

That goes without mentioning one of the strongest lineups in all of MLB throughout the season. The Brewers will have their work cut out for them once again this weekend.

Pitching Outlook

On the other hand, the Brewers will need their staff to be at the top of their game.

The Crew will go with Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and Adrian Houser against a prolific Corey Seager-led Rangers offensive attack.

This is a squad that can do damage anywhere throughout their lineup, trotting out seven position players with an OPS+ of 120 or better. As a unit, the team ranks sixth in MLB in total home runs, second in slugging percentage and second in runs scored.

The series’ key matchup looks to be game two, as the recently dominant Freddy Peralta (1.89 ERA, 26 Strikeouts in August) is slated to face perhaps his most difficult test yet in the Rangers offensive juggernaut.

Rookie Powered

While it’s no secret that the Brewers have been boosted by rookies all season, it’s been an even more impressive all-around performance lately.

The Crew collectively ranks in the MLB’s top-5 among rookie at-bats, home runs, RBI and hits. This past month, their contributions have been invaluable, with all of Sal Frelick, Brice Turang and Andruw Monasterio playing near-everyday roles.

On the mound, Abner Uribe has enjoyed a sensational start to his Big League career. Uribe is already making a name for himself with an eye-popping triple-digit sinker; plus, he’s recorded six scoreless appearances in his last seven outings

Keep an eye out for these exciting young Brewers to continue making waves for the Crew.