The Milwaukee Brewers open a four-game home series against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night with Robert Gasser set to face Nick Lodolo, a matchup that lands at a sharp point in the NL Central race. Milwaukee swept Cincinnati less than a week ago, then came home and split its next two games against the Cubs, while the Reds arrived after taking two of three from the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
The Brewers still hold a 5.5-game lead with July approaching, so the series is less about the standings than about whether Cincinnati can turn a better weekend into something that lasts. The Reds scored 19 runs over three games against the Pirates, which is a cleaner response than what they showed in Milwaukee last week, when the Brewers controlled the sweep at Great American Ballpark.
Koenig’s return on Friday matters because it changed the shape of Milwaukee’s bullpen in one move. Before he came back, Aaron Ashby was the only healthy left-handed reliever available, and four bullpen left-handers were already on the injured list, turning what had been a surplus into a shortage. The Brewers needed the depth even with a strong pitching staff that entered Sunday with a 3.42 ERA, second in the NL, and 788 strikeouts over 716 2/3 innings, first in the NL.
The Reds bring more volatility into the series. They entered with 100 home runs, but that power has not covered for a 4.51 ERA and 652 strikeouts, both 23rd in the NL. Tony Santillan was placed on the injured list with an oblique strain and will be out until at least after the All-Star break, while Blake Dunn is still listed as TBD after a right elbow sprain. Those absences leave Cincinnati trying to outrun its own pitching problems with a roster that is still missing pieces.
On Monday at 6:40 p.m., Gasser gets the ball after not pitching since the previous Sunday in Atlanta. He has made six starts and thrown 30 innings with a 4.50 ERA, a 5.14 FIP and 31 strikeouts, and his lone appearance against the Reds came last September. Lodolo has been better against Milwaukee than his season line suggests, with a 5.59 ERA, a 5.38 FIP and 38 strikeouts over 46 2/3 innings overall, but a 1-1 record, a 2.52 ERA and 35 strikeouts across 35 2/3 innings in seven career appearances against the Brewers.
Tuesday brings another early check on whether Cincinnati’s weekend was a spark or just a pause. Brandon Sproat is scheduled to face Rhett Lowder at 6:40 p.m., and if the Reds are going to make this four-game set competitive, they need the offense that showed up against the Pirates to follow them into Milwaukee.
