TLDR: The best team in the NL Central meets one of the worst teams in baseball, and the Angels just spent the week proving it by getting outscored in a stretch that's included a sweep in Houston and a near-sweep in San Francisco.
+New front office under Mozeliak reshaping direction
−42-67, lost 6 of last 7, 6-16 in July
−Ryan Johnson's ERA at 7.34, allowed 8 ER last start
−Already sold O'Hoppe and Silseth ahead of deadline
First pitch is 6:38 PM PT, and the pitching matchup tells you almost everything about where these two clubs are right now. Shane Drohan takes the ball for a Brewers team that just won't stop winning, while Ryan Johnson — a rookie right-hander still finding his footing — gets the ball for an Angels team that's lost 6 of its last 7 and is 6-16 in July.
Shane Drohan
(6-4)·3.94 ERA
Jul 24 vs Rockies
L
6.0IP
5ER
6K
2BB
92P
07/31 Lineup
Ryan Johnson
(2-6)·6.71 ERA
Jul 25 @ Giants
L
3.1IP
8ER
4K
1BB
69P
07/31 Lineup
Milwaukee's rotation has taken real hits this year — Brandon Woodruff is done for the season after shoulder surgery, Quinn Priester is out long-term, and Kyle Harrison is still working back from a forearm issue in the minors. But the group left standing has been enough to give the Brewers the best team ERA in the National League, and that depth is exactly why they can absorb a clunker start here or there and keep rolling. The Angels, meanwhile, are dealing with the opposite problem: their front office already shipped out Chase Silseth and Logan O'Hoppe to Texas, a clear signal this roster is being stripped for parts before Monday's deadline.
That sell-off matters for tonight beyond the standings. New leadership under John Mozeliak, who took over after Perry Minasian was fired in June, is reshaping this roster on the fly, and Anaheim's lineup and bullpen construction is shifting week to week. Reid Detmers, arguably the Angels' best trade chip, already made what could be his last home start before the deadline. It's not exactly the environment that produces sharp, focused baseball.
Milwaukee's last week is a reminder this team isn't invincible — a 5-2 loss to Colorado, then getting run out of the building 16-3 in San Francisco sandwiched between two wins. Drohan himself has dropped 2 of his last 3 starts. But even with the bumps, the Brewers are 67-41 and sitting comfortably atop the NL Central, and this Angels lineup has given opposing pitchers very little to fear lately.
Johnson's last outing was about as rough as it gets — 8 earned runs in just 3.1 innings against San Francisco — and his 7.34 ERA reflects a pitcher who hasn't found consistency yet. Milwaukee's offense has shown it can put up crooked numbers in a hurry, and against a rookie starter who's still figuring out the league, this has the look of a game that could get away from the Angels fast.
Brewers 6, Angels 2: Final Score & Odds Recap — Brewers Roll Into Anaheim Looking to Bury a Selling Angels Club
