Brewers vs. Marlins: A Beginner’s Guide to This Weekend’s Baseball Series

Hey there! Baseball can seem confusing, but don’t worry. We’re going to break down everything you need to know about this weekend’s games between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Miami Marlins—like you’re five years old.

What’s Happening This Weekend?

The Milwaukee Brewers are playing baseball again this weekend! They will host (meaning the games are at their home field) the Miami Marlins. This starts the second half of the season (think of the season like a school year split into two semesters).

• The Brewers had a rough end before the break: they got swept by the Pirates (lost all games in a series) in Pittsburgh.
• Even so, they are still in first place in their group (NL Central) with a 5-game lead over the Cubs.
• Their record is 59 wins and 37 losses—second best in all of baseball, just behind the Dodgers (61-36).

The Marlins have also been playing better lately:

• They grabbed the last Wild Card spot (a backup ticket to the playoffs) at 52-45, just ahead of the Cardinals.
• But they also got swept before the break by the Guardians in Cleveland.

Important Point: Both teams are good but stumbled into the break with sweeps. The Brewers are still near the top; the Marlins are surprising everyone!

Who’s Hurt? (Injury List)

Teams have a list of players who are injured and can’t play (called the IL, or Injured List).

Brewers on the IL

Mostly pitchers (the players who throw the ball):

• Rob Zastryzny (back late July)
• Brandon Woodruff (maybe out all season)
• Kyle Harrison (late July/August)
• Joel Kuhnel (late July/August)
• DL Hall (late July)
• Brian Fitzpatrick (out all season)
• Quinn Priester (out all season)
• Angel Zerpa (out all season)

Position players (batters):

• Brandon Lockridge (knee, out since May, almost ready to practice)
• David Hamilton (hamstring pull, back late July)

Marlins on the IL

Pitchers:

• Michael Petersen (unknown)
• William Kempner (unknown)
• John King (unknown)
• Anthony Bender (late July)
• Josh Ekness (August)
• Andrew Nardi (September)
• Ronny Henriquez (out all season)
• Adam Mazur (out all season)

Position player:

• Owen Caissie (back late July)

How Are They Hitting? (Offense)

Brewers Hitters

• Jake Bauers is having his best year: hits .268, gets on base .373, slugs .508, with 18 home runs in 87 games.
• Brice Turang (14 HR), Jackson Chourio (13 HR).
• William Contreras & Gary Sánchez are good catchers.
• Garrett Mitchell is healthy (knock on wood!).
• Others: Yelich, Frelick, Vaughn, Ortiz, Lara, Pratt, Shewmake.
• Team totals: .254 average, 89 HR (low rank), 489 runs (4th best), 89 steals (6th).

Marlins Hitters

• Heriberto Hernández & Liam Hicks lead with 13 HR each; Kyle Stowers has 12.
• Otto Lopez & Xavier Edwards both hit over .300 (really good!).
• Others: Sanoja, Marsee, Conine, Mack, plus depth guys.
• Team totals: .253 average, 98 HR, 439 runs (13th), 101 steals (2nd best).

Important Point: Neither team hits a ton of home runs, but both score runs and steal bases well!

How Are They Pitching? (Defense)

Brewers Pitchers

• Aaron Ashby leads baseball with 12 wins; ERA 3.56 (lower is better).
• Abner Uribe & Trevor Megill great lately.
• Chad Patrick bounced back.
• Bullpen (relief pitchers) includes Anderson, Koenig, Yoho, Wilson.
• Team ERA 3.48 (2nd best); starters 1st, bullpen 5th.

Marlins Pitchers

• Calvin Faucher: 40 games, ERA 4.31.
• Pete Fairbanks: 13 saves but ERA 6.83.
• Others: Bachar, Gibson, Zuber, Fulton, Gusto.
• Team ERA 4.02 (10th); starters 14th, bullpen 7th.

The Games (Pitching Matchups)

Here are the three games and who throws for each team.

Friday, July 17 @ 6:40 p.m.

• Brewers: RHP Logan Henderson (3-1, 3.18 ERA) vs. Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara (10-5, 3.99 ERA)
• Henderson (24) is great: career 2.52 ERA. First time vs Miami.
• Alcantara (30) eats innings (leads league). Took loss last time.

Saturday, July 18 @ 3:10 p.m.

• Brewers: LHP Shane Drohan (4-3, 3.09 ERA) vs. Marlins: RHP Max Meyer (9-1, 2.58 ERA)
• Drohan (27) first vs Miami.
• Meyer (27) All-Star this year; only faced Milwaukee in 2024.

Sunday, July 19 @ 1:10 p.m.

• Brewers: LHP Robert Gasser (2-4, 5.24 ERA) vs. Marlins: RHP Eury Pérez (5-7, 3.78 ERA)
• Gasser (27) struggled last start.
• Pérez (23) hot lately: 1.35 ERA in last 6 starts.

How to Watch or Listen

You can watch or listen to all three games like this:

1. Friday: Brewers TV or radio 620 WTMJ
2. Saturday: Brewers TV or radio 620 WTMJ
3. Sunday: Brewers TV or radio 620 WTMJ

Final Thought

The Brewers use young pitchers; the Marlins use their best three. Offenses are close. The writer picks the Marlins to win 2 of 3 games.

Summary

This weekend, the Brewers (first place, 59-37) host the Marlins (Wild Card, 52-45) in a 3-game set. Both have injuries, similar offenses (not many HR but fast), and strong-ish pitching. Games are Fri/Sat/Sun on Brewers TV or radio. It should be close, but Marlins might take two.

FAQ

Q: What does “swept” mean?
A: It means a team lost all the games in a series against another team.

Q: What is ERA?
A: Earned Run Average—it shows how many runs a pitcher allows per 9 innings. Lower is better.

Q: What is a Wild Card spot?
A: A backup way to reach the playoffs if you didn’t win your division.

Q: What does “IL” mean?
A: Injured List—players who are hurt and can’t play right now.

Q: How can I listen to the games?
A: On Brewers TV or the Brewers Radio Network at 620 WTMJ in Milwaukee.