The Dodgers bullpen allowed five runs in the eighth inning in a 6-3 loss to the Brewers on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers and Brewers get together for a second consecutive weekend, the start of a nine-game homestand at Dodger Stadium. Here is a look at the scheduled pitching matchups for the weekend showdown between division leaders in Los Angeles.

Friday, 7:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)

Zack Greinke, who lost last Saturday in Milwaukee, is 2-4 with a 4.23 ERA in six starts against the National League Central this season, with 40 strikeouts and nine walks, though both wins came at home. Jimmy Nelson, who lost to the Dodgers last Sunday, has four straight quality starts but is 1--2 during that span thanks the Brewers scoring nine total runs of support.

Saturday, 6:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, MLB Network)

Clayton Kershaw tries to become the first Dodgers pitcher to win 12 consecutive decisions since Burt Hooton in 1975. Yovani Gallardo is 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA in his last 12 starts, with 63 strikeouts and 14 walks in 76 innings during that span, including seven starts of at least seven innings.

Sunday, 1:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)

Dan Haren has a 19.9-percent strikeout rate on the road compared to just 14.7 percent at Dodger Stadium, though he has limited the damage somewhat with only nine walks and nine home runs allowed in 10 starts, compared to 20 walks and 14 home runs in 14 road starts. The Dodgers last weekend missed both Gallardo and Wily Peralta, who is 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA over his last six starts.

The Brewers face the Dodgers only four games after they last faced them. Will they be able to take another series from LA?

The Brewers just faced the Dodgers so this preview is going to be a little abbreviated. To my delight, as well as surprise, Milwaukee took 2 out of 3. That was pretty huge considering they faced both Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. Unfortunately, they're going to have to face those two pitchers again. It wasn't a fluke that the Brewers won that series. They have a legitimately damaging offense. Still, winning a series when you face those two pitchers isn't easy for any team. This time, however, they'll be facing Dan Haren instead of Roberto Hernandez. That's not exactly a bad thing for the Brewers. Haren hasn't been good this year, but more on that in a bit. Also, Hanley Ramirez is officially on the disabled list this time around. He only had the 1 plate appearance so it's not much of a change.

Friday, August 15 9:10 pm CT: Jimmy Nelson vs Zack Greinke

The Brewers fared quite well against their former ace. In six innings they scored 4 runs, including 2 home runs. Dodger Stadium is a lot friendlier to pitchers than Miller Park so home runs are going to be harder to come by. Greinke's last start was against the Brewers and I'm always intrigued to see how a pitcher responds to these situations knowing the batters have so recently seen all his pitches. Greinke has been excellent this year so I'm not expecting the same outcome. However, as I mentioned above, the Brewers offense is legit and they've shown they can hit him before. I'm not ready to count them out as easily as I did last time.

Of note for the Brewers: Jimmy Nelson is also making back-to-back starts against the same opponent. This marks the first time he's making a second start against a major league opponent which is always a big test for a pitcher. Nelson has hardly used his change-up at the major league level. Now that he's facing a team for the second time, and in such quick succession, I'll be interested to see if he tried to incorporate the pitch more than he has. Nelson held the Dodgers to 2 runs across 6 innings, but he also gave up 8 hits and a walk. So despite solid results, he did struggle a bit. I'm really excited about Jimmy Nelson's future, but this could be a growing pains game.

Saturday, August 16 8:10 pm CT: Yovani Gallardo vs Clayton Kershaw

The Brewers had a fair amount of base runners early in the game against Clayton Kershaw. Unfortunately they had about as many outs on the bases too. I was at this game and boy was it frustrating. I went in expecting a dominating pitching performance from Kershaw so I was ready for a loss. I wasn't ready for a bunch of really dumb things to happen. On the bright side, the Brewers did put the ball into play against Kershaw a lot more than I was expecting them to. He only got 6 strikeouts and in fact the Brewers were able to draw 2 walks. It was, by far, the lowest K% in a game for him all season. That's actually quite encouraging.

Sunday, August 17 3:10 pm CT: Kyle Lohse or TBD vs Dan Haren

Dan Haren was a beast in 2011 (6.2 fWAR). Since then he's been pretty awful. While his walk rate (4.9%) is really great, his strike out rate is pretty medicore (17.8%) giving him one of the worst K%-BB% of his career. His BAA (.267) is really bad, but thanks to that BB% his WHIP is league average (1.29). His HR/9 has been terrible for 3 straight years and he's not been pitching in bandboxes. I'd say all this bodes well for Brewers batters.

Of note for the Brewers: Kyle Lohse tweaked his ankle 3 starts ago in St. Louis. It was apparently bothering him ever since. Then he re-aggravated it batting in his last start. Therefore, this start is in limbo and the Brewers have said they might just utilize off days to skip his turn in the rotation. It's possible Mike Fiers could start this game on short rest. It's also possible Marco Estrada could make a spot start.

I'm uncertain which I'd prefer. I know the majority of you would say it should obviously be Fiers. He did hold the Dodgers to 1 run in 8 innings. I think he'd be fine pitching on four days rest too. However, Marco Estrada has been pretty solid in relief (even though he did give up 2 runs to the Dodgers recently). If Lohse (and Garza) have to miss more time than is hoped, it might be good to get Estrada stretched out now, especially since he recently pitched 4 (scoreless) innings (which just so happened to be in Lohse's abbreviated start). I suppose it's also possible they could piggy back the two starters if they don't want to push Fiers too hard on short rest. They could give him 4-5 innings and Estrada 2-3. I don't know if that's something they'd try though, just a thought.

Conclusion

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, the Brewers fared quite well against the Dodgers in the first series and that gives me hope. On the other hand, Greinke and Kershaw are both excellent pitchers and it's not an easy task toppling either one. My heart tells me they'll win 2 out of 3. My head tells me they'll drop 2 out of 3. My gut tells me it's lunch time. So to wrap this up, I think the Brewers will play 3 games against the Dodgers this weekend.

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $18,000 Fantasy Baseball league for tonight's MLB games. It's $2 to join and first prize is $2,000. Jump in now.Here's the FanDuel link!

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs

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LOS ANGELES -- It is not often a pitcher starts against the same team in back-to-back outings, but Zack Greinke gets a second crack at the Brewers in the opener of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. Greinke also has an opportunity to do something he has never done.

Beat one of his former teams.

Greinke on Saturday allowed four runs in six innings in a loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee, dropping his record against his former teams to 0-4 with a 4.93 ERA in seven career starts, with 29 strikeouts and seven walks in 42 innings. His teams have dropped six of the seven games.

It didn't start out bad for Greinke, who allowed two total runs in 15⅓ innings in a pair of no-decisions against the Royals in 2012, one start with the Brewers and another with the Angels. But in the last two seasons, his starts against his old teams have been bad, to the tune of 0-4 with a 7.09 ERA.

If there has been any theme for Greinke in these starts, it's faltering early. He has allowed runs in the first inning in four of his seven starts, with eight total runs.

The first inning has been a problem for Greinke, who has allowed 16 first-inning runs in 24 starts this season. Those runs have come in all of six starts, but those games comprise six of his eight losses this season.

One of those losses came on Aug. 4 to the Angels, and Greinke explained his early-game issues.

"You try to establish your strike zone, throwing strikes, establish your fastball. That's what you usually do, but when guys get on base you start to mix it up," Greinke explained. "My biggest issue is that I haven't been able mix it up in time and locate with off speed early enough."

But Greinke returns home, where he is 6-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 10 starts this season, and his Dodger Stadium peripherals have been great. Greinke has 86 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 67⅔ innings.

His 31.6-percent home strikeout rate is the fourth-best in baseball, and his 27.6-percent strikeout-walk rate differential is also fourth (Clayton Kershaw, who starts Saturday, ranks first in both).

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA

Both were recovering from arm injuries, but neither was making progress in their rehab.

In the pregame talk for tonight's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, we got an injury update from Adam McCalvy on Twitter. Apparently, Tyler Thornburg and Jim Henderson have both been shut down for the remainder of the season. Tyler Thornburg had a PRP injection in his elbow, and Jim Henderson is probably headed for shoulder surgery.

Tyler Thornburg was placed on the DL on June 7 with a strained right elbow. He wasn't making any progress in his recovery, and two months in, he hasn't started a throwing program. The injection he received should help stimulate recovery in the elbow, and assuming he doesn't need surgery, hopefully the rest will get him back to 100% for next year.

Jim Henderson has been out since May 2, when he was put on the DL for shoulder inflammation. He had completed a 30-day rehab assignment in the minors, but the team didn't see enough progress in his recovery and shut him back down. With shoulder surgery needed, we will have to wait and hear the severity of it before knowing if Henderson will be good to go for spring training next year.

This may intensify the Brewers need to acquire a right-handed reliever. There was hope to get these guys back this season and bolster a struggling bullpen. However, now that they are shut down, this could put a greater urgency on finding a reliever to help during the stretch run.

Both will still be under 3 years of service entering 2015, so both will get pre-arb salaries. We don't know timetables for recovery on either yet, but hopefully they will be ready to go in spring training next year.

The right-hander last pitched on Saturday in Milwaukee.

LOS ANGELES -- With starter Hyun-jin Ryu on the shelf with a strain of his gluteus muscle, there is some shuffling in the Dodgers pitching staff. Added to the bullpen is Pedro Baez, who was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday as a corresponding move for Ryu.

Kevin Correia made a spot start in his Dodgers debut on Monday, but was going to be in the bullpen going forward. With Ryu now out, Correia is back in the rotation and will start on Tuesday against the Padres.

The Dodgers announced the Baez move only an hour before Friday's game against the Brewers, as Baez was en route from Albuquerque during the afternoon.

Baez was just optioned on Monday to make room for Correia. Because he is replacing an injured player Baez is allowed to return within 10 days, and he gets full major league service time and pay as if Monday's optional assignment never happened.

Baez did not pitch since rejoining the Isotopes. His last appearance was Saturday in Milwaukee, throwing a scoreless inning. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 4.50 ERA in four major league appearances in his three previous stints with the Dodgers, with three strikeouts and a walk.

In a weird quirk, all of Baez's major league appearances have come on the road.

Baez had a 4.76 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League in Triple-A, but more importantly walked only four with 20 strikeouts in 22⅔ innings.

Notes

Josh Beckett, on the disabled list with a left hip impingement, was back at Dodger Stadium on Friday, though manager Don Mattingly said he didn't have an update on the right-hander, but might know more in the next few days.

"I've heard from the very beginning that [surgery] could be a possibility," Mattingly said. "It will probably end up being a personal choice for Josh at this point, if he wants to do that."

Paul Maholm had right knee surgery on Friday to reconstruct his ACL and repair his medial meniscus. The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Maholm, out for the season, is scheduled to begin his rehab next week.

Newly-acquired pitcher Justin Germano was added to the Isotopes' roster to replace Baez

The Dodgers signed 17-year-old right-handed pitcher Rawel Peralta out of Mao, Dominican Republic. Peralta was signed by Dodgers scouts Patrick Guerrero, Franklin Taveras and Mike Tovar.

Good news and bad news as the pennant races heat up.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were shut out by the Las Vegas 51s, 2-0.

Erick Jokisch was the victim of non-support as he pitched six innings and allowed two runs on nine hits. He struck out six and walked only one.

Iowa had four hits in this game. Catcher Rafael Lopez was 2 for 3.

Omaha won, so Iowa is once again tied for first place in their division.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies dimmed the Huntsville Stars (Brewers), 2-0.

Pierce Johnson pitched the first four innings and allowed just three hits, two of which were infield singles. He walked three and struck out seven.

Matt Loosen got the win because Johnson didn't pitch five innings. Loosen gave up one hit and one walk. He also struck out one.

Frank Batista pitched a perfect ninth inning for his tenth save. He did not have a strikeout.

Second baseman Stephen Bruno went 2 for 3 with a triple and an RBI single in the second inning.

The win gives Tennessee a one-game lead in their division.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs fell to the Tampa Yankees, 7-2.

Tyler Skulina started and got the loss. Skulina pitched 3.2 innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits. He struck out three and walked two.

First baseman Dan Vogelbach was 2 for 4 with two doubles. He scored one run and had one RBI.

DH Billy McKinney was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

The loss cuts Daytona's lead over Tampa for first place in their division to two games.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars skinned the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 7-2.

Starter Jonathan Martinez picked up his ninth win and second with the Cougars. He allowed two runs on six hits over five innings. Martinez struck out two and walked no one.

Tyler Ihrig pitched the final four innings for the rare four-inning save. Ihirg allowed only one hit and no runs. He fanned three and walked one.

First baseman Jacob Rogers and catcher Cael Brockmeyer hit back-to-back solo home runs in the second inning. It was Rogers' 15th home run and Brockmeyer's 6th. Rogers was 2 for 5 with two RBI and Brockmeyer was 1 for 4 with a walk.

Center fielder Trey Martin hit an inside-the-park home run in the fourth inning, his third home run this season. Martin went 2 for 3 with a walk and the one RBI. He scored three times.

Second baseman Danny Lockhart was 3 for 4 with a walk. He had one run batted in.

The Cougars are in first place, but it doesn't matter because they won the first half.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks comeback fell short against the Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks), 5-4.

Starting pitcher Dillon Maples allowed three runs on three hits over 3.1 innings. Mainly, the problem was that he walked five batters. He struck out four.

Third baseman Jesse Hodges had a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth to get the Hawks to within a run, but then shortstop Bryant Flete grounded out to end the game. Hodges was 1 for 4.

AZL Cubs

Off day.

LOS ANGELES -- The Brewers touched up Jamey Wright and Brandon League for five runs in the eighth inning, the crowning blow a three-run double by pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay off League, turning a 2-0 Dodgers lead into a deficit and an ultimate 6-3 Brewers triumph on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers bullpen on the whole is shaky enough when at full strength, but Friday night it the holes became more apparent when two of its three preferred relievers were unavailable.

With Kenley Jansen it is understandable with his four-out save and 31 pitches thrown on Wednesday afternoon. Same for Brian Wilson, who pitched in three of the last four games. Both were down for manager Don Mattingly on Friday.

But for Mattingly not to use J.P. Howell to face the left-handed Overbay in the eighth inning was a terrible mistake. Mattingly said he was saving Howell for the ninth to close out the game, but that opportunity never came. Mattingly's rationale for not using Howell earlier in the eighth was reasonable, until Overbay, the only remaining left-handed threat the Brewers had, was called upon.

"That section there in the eighth was not a good spot for him," Mattingly rationalized. "We didn't feel it was the right spot for him."

The right spot for Howell was to face Overbay in a 2-2 game, with two outs and the bases loaded. Howell has held lefties to hitting .145/.263/.174 this season with two extra-base hits (both doubles) in 82 plate appearances, and 218/.301/.312 in his career. Lefties were hitting .306/.405/.323 against League this season, and .283/.351/.427 in his career.

Overbay in his career was hitting .250/.298/.381 against southpaws (5-for-26 this year), and .271/.362/.446 against righties (.233/.330/.347 this year).

Mattingly said using Howell for a four-out save wasn't an option.

"At that point, we don't have Kenley. We're still in the eighth," Mattingly said. "I guess I could have used [Howell], but then basically we're out of guys."

Mattingly said if he could do one thing differently, he would have started the eighth inning with League instead of Wright.

The one bright spot in the bullpen on Friday was Pedro Baez, who pitched two scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh as a bridge to the patchwork late-inning crew.

League has allowed 11 of 22 inherited runners to score this season.

Baez was needed so early because Zack Greinke had one of his wildest and weirdest games of the season, and only lasted five innings.

Greinke allowed a couple of singles in the first inning but worked out of the jam. He cruised through the second inning but then issued five two-out walks over the next three innings.

In the fourth inning, Greinke uncharacteristically walked Khris Davis, Mark Reynolds and Jean Segura in succession, though Segura may have been more of a pitch-around with the pitcher Nelson on deck. Greinke did strikeout Nelson with the bases loaded to end the threat, but the tax for his efforts was a 30-pitch fourth inning.

Greinke was pulled after five innings. He said he felt strong enough to pitch another two or three innings, but understood the decision to remove him.

"I walked four guys in the last two innings," he said. "Maybe I wasn't feeling as good as I thought i was. No matter how good I felt, I wasn't pitching that great."

Before Friday, Greinke had walked three or more batters in only two of his 24 starts this season.

The last time he walked three in a single inning was July 3, 2013 at Coors Field, when he walked four in the second inning of a win over the Rockies. Greinke tied a career high with seven walks that night.

The last time Greinke walked three straight batters was Aug. 8, 2012 with the Angels in the second inning against the A's. Greinke walked five in that inning.

Greinke's five walks on the night tie his season high, set on July 19 in St. Louis.

Offense

The first inning Friday in Los Angeles began the same way as the first inning Thursday in Atlanta. Gordon led off the frame with an infield hit, then stole second base, advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher, then scored on a Puig single.

Gordon reached base again on a fielder's choice in the fifth and stole another base, his major-league-best 56th steal of the season, then Puig drove him in again with another single. The duo tried to repeat the feat again in the seventh, but this time after another Gordon single he was caught stealing. Relief pitcher Brandon Kintzler it seems was harder to run against that starter Jimmy Nelson, against whom the Dodgers stole four bases on the night.

Trailing 5-2 in the eighth inning, Puig doubled and ultimately scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Kemp, but that was it.

The Brewers tacked on an insurance run in the ninth against Carlos Frias, then Francisco Rodriguez slammed the door in the ninth to close out Milwaukee's third win in four games against the Dodgers this season.

To make matters worse for the Dodgers, third baseman Juan Uribe left the game after six innings with right hamstring tightness. More information will follow on that after the game.

Friday particulars

Home runs: none

WP - Brandon Kintzler (2-3): 1 IP, 1 hit

LP - Jamey Wright (4-3): ⅓ IP, 4 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk

Sv - Francisco Rodriguez (37): 1 IP, 1 strikeout

Brewers score five in eighth inning to rally for a 6-3 win.

WP: Brandon Kintzler (2-3)
LP: Jamey Wright (4-3)
SV: Francisco Rodriguez (37)

HR: None

MVP: Lyle Overbay (+.404)
LVP: Rickie Weeks (-.149)

Box Score

Win Expectancy Graph

Hey, Jimmy Nelson got some run support. Too bad he wasn't in the game at the time to fully enjoy it.

The Dodgers started the scoring off tonight in the first inning. Dee Gordon singled to lead off the inning, stole second, and advanced to third on a Jonathan Lucroy throwing error. Yasiel Puig followed that up with an RBI single to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. The two would combine again for another run in the fifth inning to increase the lead to 2-0.

The Brewers had their chances against Zack Greinke tonight, but just couldn't take advantage of them. Greinke held the Brewers scoreless, but needed 99 pitches to get through five innings. While he only allowed two hits, the Brewers drew five walks off of him to drive up his pitch count. Greinke also struck out six in the game (which probably further hurt his pitch count in the end).

On the other side, Jimmy Nelson continued his strong pitching. He pitched six innings, allowing two runs, six hits, and a walk. He also had four strikeouts in the game. He only threw 83 pitches, but was lifted for a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh inning as the Brewers tried to rally.

After continuing to struggle on offense with Pedro Baez from the bullpen, Jamey Wright came into the game to pitch the eighth. He got Lucroy to ground out to start the inning, but three consecutive singles followed to cut the deficit to 2-1, and a Khris Davis double tied the game at 2-2. After intentionally walking Mark Reynolds, the Brewers went to Rickie Weeks off the bench, and the Dodgers countered with Brandon League. Rickie Weeks struck out, but Ron Roenicke pulled another bench bat in Lyle Overbay. This one struck with a bases-clearing double to give the Brewers a 5-2 lead.

The Dodgers would get a run back in the bottom of the eight on a Matt Kemp sacrifice fly off of Will Smith. The Brewers got the run back in the top of the ninth with a Scooter Gennett RBI single, and Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth inning to seal the win.

The Brewers continue their series against the Dodgers tomorrow night. Yovani Gallardo will face Clayton Kershaw in game two of the series. First pitch is at 8:05 pm.

A strain of the same hamstring caused Uribe to miss 34 games earlier in the season.

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe left Friday night's game after just six innings with tightness in his right hamstring, the same hamstring that sidelined Uribe for over a month earlier this season.

Uribe is listed as day-to-day, and the team will run tests on Saturday and seeing how Uribe feels the day after, but manager Don Mattingly didn't sound too optimistic after the game.

"We'll know more tomorrow," Mattingly said. "It concerns us a little bit, just because it's the same leg."

Uribe felt something during his at-bat in the sixth inning on Friday, when he flew out to center field against Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson. Uribe exited the game in favor of Justin Turner, who played the final two innings at third base.

The team is concerned because Uribe strained the same hamstring in May and missed 34 games.

Uribe was 1-for-3 with a single on Friday and is hitting .293/.320/.411 this season with 18 doubles, six home runs and 35 RBI in 81 games. Despite playing roughly two-thirds of the season, he ranks near the top of most advanced defensive categories at third base.

LOS ANGELES -- Dee Gordon played a large role in the Dodgers' offense against the Brewers on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, stealing a pair of bases and scoring two runs in the series opener at Dodger Stadium. Gordon now has 56 stolen bases on the season, tying him with Steve Sax for seventh-most by a Los Angeles Dodger.

Sax won Rookie of the Year honors in 1982, stealing 49 bases in the process, then swiped a career-high 56 bags in 1983. The second baseman averaged 41 stolen bases in his seven full seasons in Los Angeles (1982-88).

Gordon leads the majors with his 56 steals in 2014, a whopping 10-steal lead over second-place Jose Altuve of the Astros.

Gordon stole a base in the first inning off Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson, then did so again in the fifth. Gordon tried a third time to steal second base against reliever Brandon Kintzler in the seventh inning, but was thrown out by catcher Jonathan Lucroy. Gordon has been successful in 80 percent of his stolen base attempts (56-of-70) this season.

Gordon has stolen two bases in a game in each of the last two days, his 12th multi-steal game of the year. He has five steals in his last three games after going nine games without one.

Maury Wills in his record-setting campaign in 1962 had 64 steals through 124 team games. But things were about to get crazy, as Wills stole 40 bases in the final 41 games of the season (the Dodgers played in a three-game playoff against San Francisco, the only 165-game season).

Wills in 1965 stole 94 bases, his second-highest total, but was off to a faster start that season. Through 124 games, Willis already had 80 steals.

Up next

The Dodgers send ace Clayton Kershaw to the mound on Saturday night, a 6:10 p.m. PT start, looking for his 12th straight win. Milwaukee counters with Yovani Gallardo.

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers and Brewers continue their potential playoff preview on Saturday night, with ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound against Yovani Gallardo.

Kershaw, who was the first Dodgers pitcher since Burt Hooton in 1975 to win back-to-back National League Pitcher of the Month awards, looks to be the first Dodgers pitcher since Hooton in 1975 to win 12 straight decisions.

Kershaw beat the Brewers last Sunday in Milwaukee, allowing one run in eighth innings, and over his last 13 starts is 11-0 with a 1.16 ERA, with 13 runs and 12 walks allowed plus 117 strikeouts in 101 innings.

His current streak of 11 straight games lasting seven or more innings is the longest of his career, and the streak might be 14 straight were it not for his rain-shortened five-inning complete game on June 8 at Coors Field. Since his blow-up start in Arizona on May 17, Kershaw is averaging 7.6 innings per start.

Gallardo in his last six road starts is 3-1 with a 1.76 ERA with 31 strikeouts and four walks in 41 innings.

But with Gallardo, his bat also has to be accounted for.

Gallardo is just 5-for-39 (.128) at the plate this season, but he has 12 career home runs, including at least one for five straight years from 2009-13, the next Carlos Zambrano if you will (Zambrano hit a home run in 10 straight years from 2003-12, 24 during that span).

Since the beginning of 2009, Gallardo leads all pitchers in baseball with 10 home runs and 36 RBI, is second with 16 doubles and third with 31 runs scored. But he's also a feast or famine hitter, second with 135 strikeouts. Gallardo in his career strikes out 32.4 percent of the time and is hitting .200/.226/.339.

Worth noting: Gallardo in his career (dating back to 2007) is 10th among pitchers in OPS+, with current Dodgers pitchers Zack Greinke and Dan Haren ahead of him.

Game info

Time: 6:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network

Clayton Kershaw struck out 11 in a complete game, but also allowed two home runs. Matt Kemp homered in the ninth inning, but the Dodgers fell short on Saturday in a one-run loss to the Brewers at Dodger Stadium.

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers and Brewers continue their potential playoff preview on Saturday night, with ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound against Yovani Gallardo.

Kershaw, who was the first Dodgers pitcher since Burt Hooton in 1975 to win back-to-back National League Pitcher of the Month awards, looks to be the first Dodgers pitcher since Hooton in 1975 to win 12 straight decisions.

Kershaw beat the Brewers last Sunday in Milwaukee, allowing one run in eighth innings, and over his last 13 starts is 11-0 with a 1.16 ERA, with 13 runs and 12 walks allowed plus 117 strikeouts in 101 innings.

His current streak of 11 straight games lasting seven or more innings is the longest of his career, and the streak might be 14 straight were it not for his rain-shortened five-inning complete game on June 8 at Coors Field. Since his blow-up start in Arizona on May 17, Kershaw is averaging 7.6 innings per start.

Gallardo in his last six road starts is 3-1 with a 1.76 ERA with 31 strikeouts and four walks in 41 innings.

But with Gallardo, his bat also has to be accounted for.

Gallardo is just 5-for-39 (.128) at the plate this season, but he has 12 career home runs, including at least one for five straight years from 2009-13, the next Carlos Zambrano if you will (Zambrano hit a home run in 10 straight years from 2003-12, 24 during that span).

Since the beginning of 2009, Gallardo leads all pitchers in baseball with 10 home runs and 36 RBI, is second with 16 doubles and third with 31 runs scored. But he's also a feast or famine hitter, second with 135 strikeouts. Gallardo in his career strikes out 32.4 percent of the time and is hitting .200/.226/.339.

Worth noting: Gallardo in his career (dating back to 2007) is 10th among pitchers in OPS+, with current Dodgers pitchers Zack Greinke and Dan Haren ahead of him.

Game info

Time: 6:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network

LOS ANGELES -- Juan Uribe is out of the starting lineup for the Dodgers on Saturday against the Brewers, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain.

Uribe left Friday night's game after six innings after feeling something in his hamstring during his third at-bat of the night.

It's a bad situation for the Dodgers and for Uribe, who missed 34 games in May and June with the same injury. The third baseman told reporters before Saturday's game that his hamstring feels the same as it did in that DL stint.

Justin Turner, who filled in admirably at third base during Uribe's earlier absence, starts at third base for the Dodgers, batting sixth. Turner has been an unsung hero this year, hitting .305/.378/.419, including reaching base by hit or walk in each of his last 20 starts, dating back to June 6.

In an interesting twist, Hanley Ramirez was taking grounders at third base before the game, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Ramirez is also currently on the disabled list, but eligible to return on Aug. 26.

Carlos Triunfel is the underwhelming addition to the roster, recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque where he  is hitting .219/.251/.317 in 79 games this season. Triunfel singled in the second inning on Thursday to snap an 0-for-20 skid.

In four previous stints with the Dodgers this season, Triunfel was 2-for-14 with a home run and a walk in 11 games. All of his time in the field has been 10 games at shortstop, including four starts.

The Dodgers currently have 10 players on the disabled list.

Clayton Kershaw allowed two home runs for the first time all season and the Dodgers offense was mostly quiet in yet another loss to the Brewers, 3-2 on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

The loss was the second straight for the Dodgers, and their fourth loss in five games against the National League Central division leaders this season. The loss was the first for Clayton Kershaw since May 28, snapping an 11-game winning streak.

Kershaw didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, but Milwaukee bats rang loud in the inning. Carlos Gomez opened with a double to left, then two batters later Ryan Braun briefly quieted the boos with an opposite-field home run and a 2-0 Brewers lead.

The Dodgers countered with three straight singles against Yovani Gallardo in the bottom of the inning, cutting the lead to 2-1, but Justin Turner was caught trying to advance an extra base on a throw home, helping to thwart a potential big inning.

That was all Gallardo would allow in eight innings, shutting the Dodgers offense down, allowing just six hits and a walk.

Gomez greeted Kershaw in the sixth inning with a first-pitch bomb to the back of the Dodgers bullpen in left field, expanding Milwaukee's lead to 3-1. It marked the first time Kershaw has allowed two home runs in a start since Sept. 8, 2013 against Cincinnati. Kershaw allowed six home runs in his 22 starts in between.

Sept. 8 was also the last time the Dodgers lost back-to-back starts by Kershaw and Zack Greinke, before the Brewers won the first two games of this weekend series.

In "Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?" fashion, Kershaw outside of those two home runs had an efficient start. He needed just 97 pitches to complete nine innings, striking out 11 while walking none and allowing five total hits.

It was the major-league-leading sixth complete game this season for Kershaw, the first Dodgers pitcher with six complete games in a season since Ismael Valdes in 1995.

It was the 17th complete game of Kershaw's career, and the first one he lost.

Kershaw has lasted seven or more innings in 12 straight starts. Since Orel Hershiser's Cy Young season in 1988, the only Dodgers streak longer was Hideo Nomo, with 13 straight in 2003.

But the offense was held in check, so much so that Matt Kemp's tomahawk home run to left field in the ninth against closer Francisco Rodriguez could only cut the deficit to 3-2. Rodriguez recovered to strike out Carl Crawford and Turner, and got pinch hitter Andre Ethier to ground out to shortstop to end the game.

The Dodgers have scored 14 total runs in five games against the Brewers this season, including four games with three or fewer runs scored. The only game the Dodgers won was last Sunday, with five runs scored.

The Dodgers offense has averaged 3.5 runs per game in August, thus far a .500 (8-8) month.

Darwin Barney pinch hit for Miguel Rojas in the seventh inning and played the final two innings at shortstop. It was the 20th career major league game at shortstop for the former Gold Glove Award-winning second baseman, and his first since July 6, 2012.

Up next

Just like last weekend in Milwaukee, the Dodgers will try to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday afternoon. Dan Haren gets the call for the Dodgers in the finale, facing Wily Peralta for Milwaukee.

Saturday particulars

Home runs: Matt Kemp (15): Ryan Braun (15), Carlos Gomez (19)

WP - Yovani Gallardo (8-6): 8 IP, 6 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

LP - Clayton Kershaw (14-3): 9 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 11 strikeouts

Sv - Francisco Rodriguez (38): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 2 strikeouts

Tennessee and Daytona explode as they both look to claim playoff spots. Iowa falls out of first.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs got stung by the Salt Lake Bees (Angels), 5-3.

Starter Carlos Pimentel pitched five innings and allowed five runs on nine hits, including a three-run home run in the third inning. Pimentel walked four and struck out three.

Right fielder Jorge Soler hit two doubles in a 2 for 5 game. He had one RBI.

Center fielder Ryan Kalish was 2 for 5 and scored once.

Shortstop Elliot Soto went 3 for 4 and scored one run.

Kris Bryant left this game in the third inning with a foot injury. He was taken to the hospital for x-rays. It was apparently the result of him fouling a ball off his foot a few games ago. The x-rays were inconclusive.

Omaha won, so Iowa fell a game out of first place in their division.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies scored seven runs in the eighth inning and went supernova on the Huntsville Stars (Brewers), 12-5.

Starting pitcher Ivan Pineyro pitched 4.2 innings and gave up two runs on four hits, including a solo home run.  He struck out seven and only walked one.

Lendy Castillo replaced Pineyroand he surrendered the lead on a three-run home run in the fifth. Castillo was relieved after two-thirds of an inning by Blake Cooper, making his Cubs organization debut. Cooper pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits. He struck out two and didn't walk anyone.

P.J. Francescon pitched a perfect top of the eighth and got his 11th win of the season, all in relief. He struck out one.

Catcher Taylor Davis hit a two-run home run in the third inning, his fourth of the season. Davis was 3 for 5 with four RBI.

Shortstop Addison Russell was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored three times and he had an RBI single in the eighth.

Third baseman Christian Villanueva went 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. He had two runs scored and two RBI.

Left fielder Anthony Giansanti was a perfect 3 for 3 with a walk. He scored once.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs trampled the Tampa Yankees, 10-2.

Starter Rob Zastryzny got his third Daytona win after tossing five innings and giving up two runs on three hits. He walked four and struck out four.

Gerardo Concepcion tossed another two scoreless innings of relief in this game. He didn't even allow a hit. He did walk two and he struck out three.

Right fielder Bijan Rademacher came to the plate with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and tripled in all three runs to put the game away. He also scored on an error on the play, so it was a Little League grand slam, so to speak. Rademacher was 2 for 5 with just the three RBI.

Catcher Willson Contreras hit a real home run with a man on in the third inning. It was his third home run of the season. Contreras was 2 for 5 with three RBI and two runs scored.

First baseman Dan Vogelbach went 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored twice and had two RBI.

DH Billy McKinney went 2 for 5 with an RBI double in the seventh inning. He scored on that Rademacher triple.

Left fielder Kyle Schwarber went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored one run. Second baseman Gioskar Amaya was 2 for 5 with a double and one run scored.

Kane County Cougars

Rained out at Wisconsin. They'll play a doubleheader tomorrow.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks appeased the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Giants), 4-1.

Erick Leal started and got the win. He pitched six innings and gave up only four hits, including one run on a solo home run in the fourth inning. He struck out one and walked one.

Sam Wilson pitched the ninth and got his third save. He gave up a two-out single, but nothing else. He struck out two.

Center fielder Rashad Crawford was 2 for 5 with a two-run triple in the seventh inning.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Mariners, 4-3.

Eloy Jimenez hit his third home run.

Ramirez last played for the Dodgers on Aug. 8.

LOS ANGELES -- Darwin Barney makes his first start at shortstop in over two years on Sunday afternoon for the Dodgers in their series finale against the Brewers. But a week from today, the Dodgers expect to have incumbent Hanley Ramirez back at shortstop.

Ramirez is on the disabled list with a right oblique strain, and his 15 days are up next weekend, making him eligible for activation on Aug. 24, the day of the series finale against the Mets and the final contest of a nine-game homestand.

Manager Don Mattingly said the team expects Ramirez to be ready for activation at the end of his 15 days.

"Hanley looks good right now. He continues to hit, he was probably 90 percent yesterday. It's really what we kind of thought, about eight to 10 days," Mattingly said. "Unless we have a setback in some way we feel like Hanley will be back up [at the end of 15 days]."

Ramirez has been hitting, and also taking grounders in the field. He even took grounders at third base, leading to speculation he might move positions especially with Juan Uribe likely sidelined for a while with a right hamstring strain.

Mattingly said that in the long term Ramirez will likely move to third base, but in the short term there are no plans to move him off shortstop. In other words, Ramirez was just messing with us.

"He was taking balls in center field, too," Mattingly said. "I think he just likes making everybody raise their eyes and ask questions. But there's no talk at all [about moving him]."

Barney played the final two innings at shortstop on Saturday night. He last started at the position in a major league game on July 6, 2012. Sunday marks his 21st career game at shortstop, and 15th start. Barney played six of his nine games with Triple-A Albuquerque at shortstop.

Drew Butera gets the start at catcher in the series finale, his 12th start in 34 day games this season. Butera has five extra-base hits (three doubles, home run, triple) in 41 plate appearances in day games this year, and five extra-base hits (three doubles, two home runs) in 121 plate appearances in night games.

***

Jean Segura is back at shortstop for the Brewers on Sunday after missing Saturday's game with a right hand contusion suffered while trying to break up a double play on Friday night.

Jonathan Lucroy homered, doubled and drove in five runs, completing the Brewers' three-game weekend sweep of the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

LOS ANGELES -- Darwin Barney makes his first start at shortstop in over two years on Sunday afternoon for the Dodgers in their series finale against the Brewers. But a week from today, the Dodgers expect to have incumbent Hanley Ramirez back at shortstop.

Ramirez is on the disabled list with a right oblique strain, and his 15 days are up next weekend, making him eligible for activation on Aug. 24, the day of the series finale against the Mets and the final contest of a nine-game homestand.

Manager Don Mattingly said the team expects Ramirez to be ready for activation at the end of his 15 days.

"Hanley looks good right now. He continues to hit, he was probably 90 percent yesterday. It's really what we kind of thought, about eight to 10 days," Mattingly said. "Unless we have a setback in some way we feel like Hanley will be back up [at the end of 15 days]."

Ramirez has been hitting, and also taking grounders in the field. He even took grounders at third base, leading to speculation he might move positions especially with Juan Uribe likely sidelined for a while with a right hamstring strain.

Mattingly said that in the long term Ramirez will likely move to third base, but in the short term there are no plans to move him off shortstop. In other words, Ramirez was just messing with us.

"He was taking balls in center field, too," Mattingly said. "I think he just likes making everybody raise their eyes and ask questions. But there's no talk at all [about moving him]."

Barney played the final two innings at shortstop on Saturday night. He last started at the position in a major league game on July 6, 2012. Sunday marks his 21st career game at shortstop, and 15th start. Barney played six of his nine games with Triple-A Albuquerque at shortstop.

Drew Butera gets the start at catcher in the series finale, his 12th start in 34 day games this season. Butera has five extra-base hits (three doubles, home run, triple) in 41 plate appearances in day games this year, and five extra-base hits (three doubles, two home runs) in 121 plate appearances in night games.

***

Jean Segura is back at shortstop for the Brewers on Sunday after missing Saturday's game with a right hand contusion suffered while trying to break up a double play on Friday night.

LOS ANGELES -- Dan Haren and the Dodgers were blown out 7-2 by the Brewers on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, completing a three-game sweep for Milwaukee that exposed a series of problems for Los Angeles.

The Dodgers lost five of six games to the Brewers over the last two weekends.

"They got us [in Milwaukee] came in here and got us good again," manager Don Mattingly said. "They came in and said, 'We think we're better than you,' and for these three games they were."

Haren was terrible, allowing six runs and needing 73 pitches to last just three innings, allowing a two-run home run to Jonathan Lucroy in the first inning, then a three-run double to Lucroy in the second.

"I felt good in the bullpen. After the first two hitters I struck some guys out and felt good about it," Haren said. "I was trying to limit the damage there in the second inning but just couldn't do it."

Haren has allowed 24 home runs, second-most in baseball, four behind Marco Estrada, who has already been banished to the bullpen by Milwaukee.

The shortest start of the season for Haren wiped away any thoughts the right-hander may have turned things around with two consecutive solid starts. His ERA since the All-Star break is 5.64, and his ERA in his last 18 starts is 5.35.

Haren had a 10.03 ERA over a five-start losing streak before allowing three total runs over his last two starts, both wins. After Sunday's outing, Haren said he didn't see another personal losing streak coming.

"I'm confident it's not going to turn into something like before when I had some bad outings in a row. I just have to get back to doing things that made me successful the last few games," Haren said. "Like walking the leadoff batter, leaving a few cutters over the plate. I really limited mistakes the last few games, but today I just left a few balls out over the plate."

But this is less about a three-month slump for Haren and more about what is just a bad season. Haren is now 10-10 with a 4.59 ERA, a 77 ERA+ that ranks 91st among 94 qualified starters in MLB. But he has also allowed 15 unearned runs, most in baseball, including three on Sunday in the second inning.

Haren's 88 runs allowed are tied for the fifth-most in MLB.

His 4.50 FIP is tied for 85th.

If there was any upside to his start on Sunday, it's that Haren only lasted three innings, making it that much more difficult to reach the 180 innings this season required to turn his $10 million club option for 2015 into a player option.

As it stands, Haren is at 143 innings, needing 37 more innings to hit 180, with potentially six or seven starts remaining. Haren in his last seven starts has totaled 34⅓ innings.

The miserable outing by Haren drew attention away from the slumping Dodgers offense, held to just seven runs in the weekend series and 16 runs in six games in the last two weekends against the Brewers.

The Dodgers have scored two or fewer runs in 15 of their last 34 games, averaging 3.44 runs per game during that time, third-worst in the National League ahead of only the Mets (3.34) and Marlins (3.29).

"This club, we seem to go up and down," Mattingly said. "I think we have a good offensive club, and I think the numbers league-wide bear that out. We're just not as consistent as I would like."

Wily Peralta allowed five hits and three walks in six innings for his 15th win of the season.

Coupled with San Francisco's win, the Dodgers are now 3½ games ahead of the Giants in the National League West.

Notes

The Dodgers were swept in a three-game series for the first time since Sept. 6-8, 2013 in Cincinnati.

The three-game losing streak matches the longest of the season for the Dodgers, done two previous times.

Carlos Frias relieved Haren in the fourth inning and allowed a home run to Carlos Gomez on his second pitch, but then recovered to retire his next 12 batters faced, including six ground ball outs and two strikeouts.

Frias also batted in the fifth inning, grounding out to first base in his first major league plate appearance.

Andre Ethier entered the game in the seventh inning at first base, his second career game at the position and first since Aug. 5, 2010.

The home run for Gomez in the fourth was his 20th of the season. Coupled with his 27 stolen bases, Gomez is the first player in the majors to reach 20-20 status this season.

Up next

After going 11-9 in their last 20 days, the Dodgers get a day off Monday for the first time in three weeks.

"When you lose three straight, a day off sounds pretty good," Mattingly said.

On Tuesday they open a three-game series against the Padres, with Kevin Correia starting the opener against Ian Kennedy for San Diego.

Sunday particulars

Home runs: Jonathan Lucroy (13), Carlos Gomez (20)

WP - Wily Peralta (15-7): 6 IP, 5 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts

LP - Dan Haren (10-10): 3 IP, 5 hits, 6 runs (3 earned), 3 walks, 3 strikeouts

Today's lessons include injuries in the pitching staff and more winning after a Brewers sweep.

This Weekend's Results

Brewers 6, Dodgers 3

Zack Greinke was as tough as usual, but not quite himself. He didn't allow a run, but only pitched five innings and walked five in the process. The Brewers just couldn't take advantage of it to back Jimmy Nelson, who turned in another quality start with two runs allowed in six innings. The Brewers offense did get to the Dodgers bullpen, though. A five-run eighth inning capped by a Lyle Overbay bases-clearing RBI double put the Brewers ahead, and they held on for the 6-3 win.

Brewers 3. Dodgers 2

A pitcher's duel broke out on Saturday night, and the winner wasn't the Cy Young winner that pitched the complete game. Clayton Kershaw was as tough as usual, allowing only five hits, striking out eleven, and walking no one. The difference on this night was that two of those hits left the ballpark, with one of those coming with a runner on base. Home runs by Ryan Braun and Carlos Gomez accounted for all of the scoring, and it was enough to back Yovani Gallardo, who pitched eight innings and allowed only one run. Francisco Rodriguez made it interesting late, but closed the door for the Brewers win.

Brewers 7, Dodgers 2

There was no doubt about how this game was going to go. The Brewers were up 2-0 before recording an out thanks to a Jonathan Lucroy home run. They built the lead to 5-0 in the second with a Lucroy bases-clearing RBI double, Lucroy's 40th double of the season. They tacked on a few more runs to make it 7-0, more than enough to back Wily Peralta's six scoreless innings. The Brewers did allow two runs in the eighth off of Marco Estrada, but allowed the Dodgers to get no closer than that.

Injuries have taken their toll on the Brewers pitching staff.

It's mid-August, and injuries are piling up on roster all around the league. The Brewers are no exception here, and their pitching staff is starting to see the injuries piling up. On Friday, the Brewers announced that Tyler Thornburg and Jim Henderson would not be returning this season. Both have been out for months, with Jim Henderson going out on two rehab assignments but not able to improve enough to return. Henderson could be headed for shoulder surgery, while Thornburg received an injection in his elbow. The Brewers are still hoping to improve the bullpen through a trade, but still have not had any luck.

Meanwhile, they also announced that Kyle Lohse will skip a start, and with off-days, the Brewers can just pitch the rest of the rotation on regular rest. They also said that Matt Garza played catch on Friday, though still has no time table for his return.

Cram Session

• In his notebook for Saturday, Adam McCalvy notes that Ron Roenicke filed a report to MLB on Saturday's interference call, Scooter Gennett should be back to 100% from his quad injury soon, and looks at the career of former Brewer Jamey Wright.
• With his save on Friday, Francisco Rodriguez tied Rollie Fingers for 11th on the all-time saves list with 341. He would go ahead of Fingers after Saturday's save.
• Despite all of the doubters about the Brewers, they keep winning. Ryan Topp of Disciples of Uecker looks at how the Brewers keep winning and what is ahead for the team.
• The Brewers have had to play seven games against Cy Young award winners in the last three weeks. Bill Berg of Reviewing the Brew breaks down what the Brewers did in each of those games.
• The Brewers did something against Clayton Kershaw that very few have been able to do: hit home runs. Adam McCalvy looked at exactly how rare it is for the Brewers to be able to accomplish that.
• Tim Dillard tackles the subject of why baseball players spit so much in his blog.
• If you've been around BCB for a while, you've probably noticed that we use some more advanced statistics when talking about the team. FanGraphs has a glossary of these terms if you ever want to learn more about them, and they just updated their library on one of the terms we use the most: FIP.

Minor League Update

Playoff Update

• Nashville Sounds: Have fallen one game behind Memphis Redbirds for division playoff spot. Elimination number is at 16.
• Huntsville Stars: Have clinched a playoff spot.
• Brevard County Manatees: Four games behind Daytona Cubs for playoff spot. Elimination number is at 12.
• Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: Remain two games ahead of Peoria Chiefs for a second half playoff spot.
  
• DSL Brewers: Eliminated from contention.
• Helena Brewers: Four games behind Billings for playoff spot. Elimination number is at 14.
• AZL Brewers: Ten games behind AZL Indians for playoff spot. Elimination number is at 2. Also one game behind AZL Reds for second in overall standings, can make playoffs if AZL Indians win second half and AZL Brewers finish second in overall standings.

News & Notes

• Brad Krause of Miller Park Prospects has a photo gallery from Sunday's doubleheader for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
• The Brewers agreements with Nashville and Huntsville expire at the end of the season, but there is currently no news on a renewal for either affiliate.

Division Update

• Padres @ Cardinals
  Friday:Cardinals 4, Padres 2
  Saturday:Padres 9, Cardinals 5
  Sunday:Cardinals 7, Padres 6
• Pirates @ Nationals
  Friday:Nationals 5, Pirates 4
  Saturday:Nationals 4, Pirates 3
  Sunday:Nationals 6, Pirates 5
• Reds @ Rockies
  Friday:Reds 3, Rockies 2
  Sunday:Rockies 10, Reds 9
  Sunday:Rockies 10, Reds 5
• Cubs @ Mets
  Friday:Mets 3, Cubs 2
  Saturday:Mets 7, Cubs 3
  Sunday:Cubs 2, Mets 1

Today's Division Games

• Reds (Mike Leake) @ Cardinals (Justin Masterson) - 7:15 pm
• Braves (Ervin Santana) @ Pirates (Vance Worley) - 6:05 pm
• Cubs (Kyle Hendricks) @ Mets (Carlos Torres) - 11:10 am

Today's Action

The Brewers have the day off today. They will return to action tomorrow as they start a two-game series against the Blue Jays at Miller Park.

Today's lessons include power rankings, playoff standings, and doubles.

Yesterday's Results

The Brewers had the day off.

Cram Session

From BCB

• Noah notes that with their recent hot streak, the Brewers now have an 80% chance to make the playoffs.
• Jonathan Lucroy is attempting to do something no other catcher has done: lead the league in doubles. Noah looked at the road ahead for Lucroy if he wants to accomplish that feat.
• The Brewers have built a buffer in the standings, but it could get tougher to maintain soon. Derek notes that some of the division rivals are starting to get healthy now.

Power Rankings

• Jonah Keri of Grantland bumped the Brewers up to #5.
• Sports Illustrated placed the Brewers up one spot at #5.
• MLB.com also had the Brewers at #5 in their rankings.
• ESPN held the Brewers steady at #7.
• FOX Sports jumped them up three spots to #7.

Other Notes

• Should Ron Roenicke be manager of the year? Lyle Spencer of MLB.com puts together a case for the Brewers manager.
• Adam Weiser of Disciples of Uecker attended a couple of games in Los Angeles over the weekend, and sat in right field during those games. It gave him some perspective on what Ryan Braun has been experiencing on the road this year.
• Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports has the Brewers as part of his twelve storylines for the stretch run, noting that the fading Pirates & Cardinals may allow the Brewers to win the division.
• The injury to Matt Garza and ineffectiveness of Marco Estrada could have doomed the Brewers if some minor league players hadn't stepped up. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel looks at how Jimmy Nelson & Mike Fiers have kept the Brewers on track this season.

Minor League Update

News & Notes

• In the Florida State league, Brevard County pitcher Tyler Wagner pitched seven scoreless innings on Monday. Teddy Cahill of MLB.com has more on Wagner.
• Marcus Young of Miller Park Prospects notes that Helena pitcher Jorge Ortega received player of the week honors in the Pioneer League.

Division Update

• Cardinals 6, Reds 5
• Braves 7, Pirates 3
• Cubs 4, Mets 1

Today's Division Games

• Reds (Alfredo Simon) @ Cardinals (John Lackey) - 7:15 pm
• Braves (Aaron Harang) @ Pirates (Francisco Liriano) - 6:05 pm
• Giants (Ryan Vogelsong) @ Cubs (Tsuyoshi Wada) - 7:05 pm

Today's Action

The Brewers begin a quick two-game series against the Blue Jays tonight. Mike Fiers is coming in off of his 14-strikeout performance, and will face Toronto starter J.A. Happ. First pitch is at 7:10 pm, and Jamie Ross of MLB.com has the preview.