Both rotations are dealing with attrition well beyond their starters tonight. Milwaukee is already without Brandon Woodruff for the season and Quinn Priester for months, and the Giants are without their top infielder and two projected outfielders at the same time.
The Brewers' outfield picture took another hit this week when Sal Frelick got a cortisone shot in his throwing shoulder, and the bullpen has been bled dry by IL trips for Joel Kuhnel, DL Hall, and others. It hasn't mattered much lately — Milwaukee is running away with the NL Central at 66-39 and just closed a homestand outscoring three straight opponents by wide margins.
San Francisco has actually won two of its last three, and Jung Hoo Lee has been the one bright spot, hammering a three-run homer in Saturday's win over the Angels. But Matt Chapman is still without a firm return date, and with Harrison Bader, Jonah Cox and Victor Bericoto all on the shelf too, manager Tony Vitello is patching together an outfield on the fly against a Milwaukee lineup that leads the league in scoring.
This is a gap-in-class matchup on paper — division leader against a team fighting to stay out of the NL West basement — and the Giants need more nights like Saturday's 9-2 win if they want to avoid getting run off their own field this week.