Brewers vs DBacks Preview: Woodruff Leads Milwaukee’s Call to Lift Title Dreams

Brandon Woodruff takes the ball for Milwaukee and he's been nearly unhittable. His 1.11 ERA is lights-out stuff. The Brewers ace has struck out 22 batters already this season with a microscopic WHIP of just 0.49. That means he's giving up almost no walks or hits. Arizona has to be sharp at the plate to touch him. The Diamondbacks just lost yesterday 7-4 but they won't back down. Kelly pitches for Arizona and he's struggled lately with a 7.37 ERA. This matchup sets up as a classic pitching duel, but Woodruff holds all the advantages heading in.

Milwaukee put on a clinic yesterday. Mitchell crushed a monster home run to center field that rocketed 435 feet and the crowd went wild. The Brewers jumped ahead early and never let up. Arizona fought back with Arenado smashing a double to left that tied things up. But Milwaukee had more left in the tank. In the 11th inning, Chourio's infield single and Turang's hit to left sent runners flying around the bases. The Brewers won 7-4 in a back-and-forth battle. Now they're hungry for another win with their 53-32 record intact.

The Brewers are dealing with some serious injury problems. DL Hall is throwing again but won't be back until late July. Logan Henderson should return soon, maybe before the All-Star break. Brandon Lockridge needs surgery on his knee and won't play until late July either. Brian Fitzpatrick might need Tommy John surgery on his elbow. These injuries would hurt any team. But Milwaukee still sits at 53-32 and stays competitive. The pitching staff led by Woodruff keeps them winning games despite the setbacks. That's what tough teams do.