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Brewers vs. Angels: The Series That Could Flip the Playoff Race
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Angels: Weekend Series Preview (July 31 – August 2)
Series at a Glance
The Milwaukee Brewers are heading to Southern California to wrap up their road trip against the Los Angeles Angels. This is their first interleague series (games between teams from different leagues) in over a month. The Brewers are looking to bounce back after losing two of three games to the San Francisco Giants, while the Angels are having a tough season and might trade some players before the deadline on Monday evening.
Important Point: The trade deadline is Monday evening — so the Angels’ roster could look different by the time this series ends!
Injury Report: Who’s In, Who’s Out?
Milwaukee Brewers
Pitchers:
- Close to returning: DL Hall
- Expected to start soon: Kyle Harrison
- Early August: Joel Kuhnel, Rob Zastryzny
- Out for the season: Brandon Woodruff, Brian Fitzpatrick, Quinn Priester, Angel Zerpa
Position Players:
- On rehab assignment (playing in minors to get ready): Brandon Lockridge (outfielder)
- Early to mid-August: Sal Frelick (outfielder)
Los Angeles Angels
Pitchers:
- Mid-August: Yusei Kikuchi
- Could return this weekend: Ben Joyce
- Out for the season: Robert Stephenson, Jack Kochanowicz
Position Players:
- Rehab assignment, expected next week: Adam Frazier (utility infielder)
- Early August: Sebastián Rivero (catcher)
- Expected to retire: Anthony Rendon (had surgery at start of season)
Key Term: Rehab assignment = A player recovering from injury plays in minor league games to build strength before returning to the majors.
Team Offense: How Do They Stack Up?
Milwaukee Brewers — Balanced & Productive
The Brewers have one of the most well-rounded offenses in baseball. Lots of players are contributing!
Regular Contributors:
- Jake Bauers
- Brice Turang
- Jackson Chourio
- William Contreras
- Garrett Mitchell
- Christian Yelich
- Andrew Vaughn
- Rookies: Cooper Pratt & Luis Lara
- Joey Ortiz (improving lately)
- Gary Sánchez (still hits for power)
- David Hamilton & Blake Perkins (round out the lineup)
| Team Stats (as of this series): | Stat | Rank in MLB |
|---|---|---|
| Batting Average / On-Base % / Slugging % | .255 / .337 / .400 | |
| OPS (On-Base + Slugging) | .737 — 6th best | |
| Home Runs | 98 — Last (30th) | |
| Runs Scored | 546 — 5th best | |
| Stolen Bases | 107 — 5th best |
ELI5: OPS combines how often a player gets on base + how much power they hit with. Higher is better. The Brewers are 6th best — very good!
Los Angeles Angels — Power But Inconsistent
The Angels rely on a few big bats, but the rest of the lineup struggles.
Key Power Hitters (all with 10+ HRs):
- Zach Neto
- Mike Trout (superstar!)
- Jo Adell
- Jorge Soler
Other Regulars:
- Tyler Heineman, Nolan Schanuel, Oswald Peraza, Denzer Guzman, Josh Lowe
Recent Additions (after trading Logan O’Hoppe):
- Jose Siri, Wade Meckler, Vaughn Grissom, Travis d’Arnaud
| Team Stats: | Stat | Rank in MLB |
|---|---|---|
| Batting Average / On-Base % / Slugging % | .239 / .315 / .386 | |
| OPS | .701 — 24th | |
| Home Runs | 116 — 21st | |
| Runs Scored | 464 — 20th | |
| Stolen Bases | 56 — Tied 21st |
Pitching Staff Comparison
Milwaukee Brewers — Elite Pitching
The Brewers have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.
Bullpen Workhorse:
- Aaron Ashby: 51 appearances, 60⅔ innings, 83 strikeouts, 3.86 ERA
Top "A" Relievers:
- Abner Uribe
- Trevor Megill
- Chad Patrick
Other Bullpen Arms:
- Craig Yoho, Bryse Wilson, Grant Anderson
Rotation Depth: 6 starters (latest call-up: Thomas Pannone)
| Team Pitching Stats: | Stat | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Team ERA | 3.51 — 2nd best | |
| Starter ERA | 3.38 — 2nd best | |
| Bullpen ERA | 3.68 — 6th best | |
| Strikeouts | 1,047 — 2nd most | |
| Innings Pitched | 965⅔ |
Key Term: ERA (Earned Run Average) = Average runs a pitcher allows per 9 innings. Lower is better. 3.51 is excellent!
Los Angeles Angels — Struggling Staff
The Angels’ pitching has been a weak spot all year.
Top Reliever Traded Away: Chase Silseth (sent to Rangers in the Logan O’Hoppe trade)
Current Bullpen Leaders:
- Samy Natera Jr.: 2.08 ERA in 21⅔ innings
- José Fermin: 2.67 ERA
- Kirby Yates: 3.76 ERA
- Ryan Zeferjahn: 3.78 ERA
- Brent Suter (former Brewer): 4.26 ERA in 61⅓ innings
- Sam Bachman: 4.26 ERA
- Mitch Farris: 4.17 ERA
| Team Pitching Stats: | Stat | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Team ERA | 4.54 — 24th | |
| Starter ERA | 4.67 — 26th | |
| Bullpen ERA | 4.40 — 24th | |
| Strikeouts | 971 — 8th most | |
| Innings Pitched | 960⅓ |
Starting Pitcher Matchups
Game 1: Friday, July 31 @ 8:38 p.m. ET
| Pitcher | Team | Record | ERA | FIP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Drohan (LHP) | Brewers | 5–4 | 3.51 | 3.01 | Solid rookie; worst start last time (5 runs in 6 IP); 1st career start vs. Angels |
| Ryan Johnson (RHP) | Angels | 2–5 | 7.34 | 6.28 | 2024 2nd-round pick; fast-tracked; got hammered last start (8 runs in 3⅓ IP); 1st vs. Brewers |
ELI5: FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) estimates a pitcher’s ERA based only on things they control: strikeouts, walks, home runs. Lower = better. Drohan’s 3.01 FIP suggests he’s been better than his 3.51 ERA shows.
Game 2: Saturday, August 1 @ 8:38 p.m. ET
| Pitcher | Team | Record | ERA | FIP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Gasser (LHP) | Brewers | 3–4 | 4.71 | 4.78 | Struggled early, but last 2 starts: 11 IP, 3 runs, 9 Ks; 1st vs. Angels |
| José Soriano (RHP) | Angels | 9–6 | 3.29 | 3.80 | Trade candidate; 127 Ks in 123 IP; league-worst 57 walks; 2.74 ERA in July; 1st vs. Brewers since 2024 (allowed 3 runs in 1⅓ IP) |
Key Term: Walks = When a pitcher throws 4 balls, batter gets free base. Soriano’s 57 walks are the most in MLB — that’s risky!
Game 3: Sunday, August 2 @ 2:15 p.m. ET
| Pitcher | Team | Record | ERA | FIP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Misiorowski (RHP) | Brewers | 11–4 | 1.58 | 2.04 | MLB ERA leader; 185 strikeouts; dominated last start (12 of first 13 batters struck out!); 1st vs. Angels |
| Walbert Ureña (RHP) | Angels | 6–7 | 2.70 | 3.89 | Rookie; ERA much better than FIP (luck?); last 4 starts: 21⅔ IP, 3 runs, 19 Ks (1.25 ERA); 1st vs. Brewers |
Star Alert: Jacob Misiorowski (“Miz”) is having a historic rookie season. A 1.58 ERA is incredibly rare!
How to Watch & Listen
| Game | TV / Stream | Radio |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, July 31 | Brewers TV | Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ Milwaukee) |
| Sat, Aug 1 | Brewers TV | Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ Milwaukee) |
| Sun, Aug 2 | Exclusively on Peacock / NBCSN Extra | Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ Milwaukee) |
Note: Sunday’s game is only on Peacock — not on regular Brewers TV!
Series Prediction
The Brewers have the pitching advantage — especially with Misiorowski in Game 3.
Prediction: Brewers win 2–1, finishing their California road trip at .500.
Summary
- Brewers are healthier, have better offense (more runs, steals), and much better pitching (2nd-best team ERA).
- Angels have a few stars (Trout, Soler) but weak overall offense and one of the worst pitching staffs in MLB.
- Trade deadline looms Monday — Angels may move players during this series.
- Misiorowski vs. Ureña on Sunday is the marquee matchup — rookie ace vs. sneaky-good rookie.
- Watch on Peacock Sunday!
FAQ
Q: What does "interleague" mean?
A: It means games between teams from different leagues — here, the Brewers (National League) vs. Angels (American League). They don’t play often!
Q: Why is the trade deadline important?
A: After Monday, teams can’t trade players anymore. Bad teams (like Angels) often trade good players to contenders for prospects (young talent).
Q: What’s the difference between ERA and FIP?
A: ERA = actual runs allowed. FIP = what ERA should be based only on strikeouts, walks, and homers. If FIP < ERA, the pitcher may have been unlucky.
Q: Why is Sunday’s game only on Peacock?
A: MLB sells some games exclusively to streaming services. Peacock (NBC’s streamer) has rights to this one — you’ll need a subscription.
Q: Who is Jacob Misiorowski and why is he special?
A: He’s a 22-year-old Brewers rookie pitcher leading all of MLB in ERA (1.58) and strikeouts (185). That’s elite, Cy Young Award-type stuff for a first-year player!
Go Crew!
