Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.86) draws Shane Drohan (3-1, 3.11) at 6:15 PM CT in Milwaukee, and the Phillies are walking into this one carrying the kind of hangover you don't sleep off. First pitch comes less than 24 hours after Jacob Misiorowski one-hit them on 95 pitches, struck out 15, and faced the minimum in a 6-0 shutout. Schwarber's fourth-inning single was the only hit, and Harper grounded into a double play two batters later to erase it.
The pitching matchup card up top tells you why this is uncomfortable for Philly. Nola's 5.86 ERA isn't a small sample fluke anymore — it's June — and his last start was 4.1 innings, 5 earned, 4 walks against the White Sox. Drohan, meanwhile, has been pitching like a guy who refuses to give the rotation spot back, riding a 3.11 ERA and coming off 6.1 innings of 3-run ball at Coors. Advantage Milwaukee, again.
The Brewers are 42-25 and have basically been bullying the league for a month. The Phillies aren't bad — 37-32 is a real team — but Milwaukee at home with a rotation that keeps producing nights like Misiorowski's is a different animal. Philly took 2 of 3 from the Blue Jays before flying in here and immediately ate the worst start of Bryce Harper's season.
- Day-To-DayAndrew Walling RP
- Day-To-DayCarson DeMartini SS
- Day-To-DayDaniel Robert RP — Robert suffered a cardiac incident Sunday while preparing to throw a bullpen session and was taken to a local hospital, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayMark Kolozsvary C — Kolozsvary (undisclosed) agreed to a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
- paternitySteward Berroa RF — The Phillies recalled Berroa from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday.
- 15-Day-ILKyle Backhus RP — Backhus (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday.
- 60-Day-ILAdolis Garcia RF — Garcia was removed from Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays due to a pulled muscle near his right shoulder, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
- OutJohan Rojas CF — Rojas (suspension) will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a right elbow UCL tear that will require an internal brace procedure.
- 10-Day-ILBrandon Lockridge LF — Lockridge (knee) will attempt to run at 85-to-90 percent intensity Monday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILColeman Crow SP — Crow permitted one hit and one walk over two scoreless innings of relief Tuesday in the Brewers' 7-5 loss to the Athletics.
- 15-Day-ILJared Koenig RP — Koenig (elbow) transferred his rehab assignment to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday and could be activated from the injured list in about a week, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
- 15-Day-ILBrandon Woodruff SP — Woodruff (shoulder) allowed three runs on five hits and two walks over 3.2 innings in his first rehab start with the Brewers' Arizona Complex League affiliate Tuesday.
- 15-Day-ILDL Hall RP — The Brewers expect Hall to return from his left pec strain in late July, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
- 15-Day-ILCarlos Rodriguez RP — The Brewers placed Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list Monday due to a right shoulder impingement, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILLogan Henderson SP — Henderson received an injection in his back Tuesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILRob Zastryzny RP — The Brewers reinstated Zastrzyny (shoulder/ribs) from the 60-day injured list Sunday.
The injury ledger doesn't do Philly any favors either. Johan Rojas is out for the year with a UCL tear, Adolis Garcia is on the 60-day with a shoulder pull, and Kyle Backhus is still rehabbing a bullpen arm they could use right now. Milwaukee's IL is longer on paper, but most of it is depth — Woodruff and Priester are rehabbing back, and the active roster just put up the loudest pitching line of the MLB season.
The read on this game is whether Nola can give Philly anything resembling length. If he can't, the Brewers' bullpen is fresh after Misiorowski went the distance, and you're looking at a series the Phillies have to win Sunday just to get out of town with a split. The Crew are the better team right now and they're playing like they know it.