Brewers Bounce Back, Hold Down Snakes at HomeKPSL 2025

Real talk: the sweep by the Phillies was a pretty embarrassing thing to happen to the Brewers. Not because the Phillies are bad or anything: they're not. They're well-managed and have some great pieces. The embarrassing part was that I gave it my all but got none of the rolls, even on two different sets of dice. It got to the point where before the series last night at Steve's [punctuated by some phenomenal charcoal-grilled burgers c/o Steve], Sam asked me if he could use my dice, as they'd worked so well for him during that series. I agreed to it. I did attempt to see if this meant, as the dice were blue and gold, that he'd be moving the team to MKE, but that didn't seem to be part of the deal.

Anyway, the dice I gave him didn't work. The ones I used in my series against Jim's D-Backs. They worked just fine. In a series of close games [barring one that wasn't], the Brewers came out victorious, winning three, and moving to 6-2 on the season against Jim. This also means I've won three straight series against him since being swept by him last year to end the first half. Not really the fault of the D-Backs themselves, who still terrorized me to a degree, but perhaps last night the dice were finally ready to reward me.

Here now the writeup,

Game 1: Brewers 3, Diamondbacks 1

W: Sonny Gray

L: Andrew Abbott

SV: Victor Vodnik

I've struggled against lefties this season, mostly due to the fact that since dealing Isaac Paredes, Blake Perkins and Wilmer Flores, my lineup against lefties drops off big time after about four batters. This game we seemed to do what we needed against Andrew Abbott. Let it be known that Jim struck first against Sonny Gray, with a solo shot from Starling Marte in the second. Beyond that, Gray had a very nice line, with 3 hits and 1 run allowed in 6 innings, including 4 Ks. Gray's card isn't perfect, and it's looking like his 2026 card will be a ton better, but he's had some nice starts for me.

Let it be known that Abbott did strike out 5 Brewers in 5 innings, and left six runners on base. But some did get home. Heliot Ramos singled Carlos Santana home in the third to tie the game, and then Bryan Reynolds, after hitting into a 'homer or double' chance twice already and rolling the double, finally went yard and scored Xander Bogaerts as well. This lead, despite Pierce Johnson and Victor Vodnik attempting to betray me, held. 

Game 2: Brewers 5, Diamondbacks 4

W: Matt Boyd

L: Ryan Pepiot

SV: Jhoan Duran

Here is the story of this game. It began with a 5 run inning from the Brewers. Jim had 9 innings to creep up. He very nearly got to 5. But it didn't happen.

The 5-run first brought every Brewers hitter to the plate, and 5 of the first 6 got home. A series of singles, fielding errors and a lone Matt McLain double brought 'em all home. Another 2 RBIs from Heliot Ramos, in a series where he'd total 7, possibly aware that he'd been brought to New York irl. 

A half-inning later, the D-Backs would make it a close game again, thanks to an RBI double from Gavin Sheets and a 2-run bomb from Jurickson Profar. Matt Boyd would only give up one more run during this game, an RBI single from Keibert Ruiz in the 6th, but beyond that he was cruising. From the 3rd to the 5th he struck out five straight batters. Notably, Miguel Andujar was not one of them, as the contact machine went 4 for 4 with 4 glorious singles, a stolen base and two runs. 

The Milwaukee bullpen made it very tight, and Jim had several opportunities to get men home. Once Boyd left, the D-Backs stranded 4 runners, including a man on third that would have scored had Alex Call not grounded into a double play to end the game. Miraculous that I got out of that one. 

Miscellany here: Both of us rolled 2s on a '2 for 20' roll, and both ended up with stolen bases. Jim got it on Miguel Andujar, I got it on Nick Fortes. Wild that it happened twice in one game.

Game 3: Diamondbacks 14, Brewers 7

W: Jesus Luzardo

L: Justin Verlander

A week after losing a game 14-0, I once again gave up 14 runs thanks to Justin Verlander. Here I was able to score runs though. Somehow more than I could in any of the wins, perhaps because Jim was playing for the marathon strategy once he scored double-digits. 

JV, after starting the season with a 1.50 ERA, seems to have torn something. In 2 and 2/3rds innings, he gave up 8 runs, including batting around in inning one. All this was on small ball, RBI singles and things from Brendan Donovan, Alex Call, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Otto Lopez. Hit after hit after hit. IKF had 2 more RBIs the following inning, then Gavin Sheets singled Andrew Vaughn home after he reached on an error, and that was all. Hayden Birdsong tried to mop up, but he didn't do especially well, giving up 5 more runs himself in the 5th, including 2 homers, from Francisco Lindor and Isaac Collins, plus a Gavin Sheets triple. Then Victor Vodnik came in and gave one up to Kyle Higashioka. How the rest of the bullpen managed to hold them all down the rest of the game I have no idea. 

Also, in the first, Andujar hit that 2 on a 20 steal chance again. The man was on FIRE.

Jesus Luzardo did well enough for himself, he pitched 4 innings, only gave up 2 runs on a Heliot Ramos homer. Around the 7th, once it became clear the D-Backs were gonna win, he put in Brad Lord and Jeremiah Estrada and just let me do what I wanted. This included Carlos Santana getting a steal chance on a 4-for-20, an RBI double from Xander Bogaerts, a solo homer from Drake Baldwin [hopefully figuring out how to hit for power for me again] and a pinch hit 2 run shot from Liam Hicks. Bryan Reynolds even worked a sac-fly after Xander Bogaerts stole his way to third on a double. 

For a game that was lost almost immediately, I'm happy I managed 7 runs anyhow. I couldn't do that against Sam. 

Game 4: Brewers 3, Diamondbacks 1

W: Jacob Misiorowski

L: Zac Gallen

SV: Daniel Palencia

Jim made it very clear that he scored first in this game, on 2 straight doubles, the RBI coming from Brendon Donovan. Unfortunately that would be the extent of the Diamondbacks' offensive output against me. Jacob Misiorowski, even without the much better stats that will make up his 2026 card, only allowed that run, in addition to striking out 5 and stranding 6 baserunners. 

Immediately after the D-Backs ended the first inning with a lead, the Brewers struck against Zac Gallen, with Ramos once again singling in 2 runs after some contact ball from Gavin Lux and Bryan Reynolds. Gallen sort of settled in after that, striking out 5 and leaving 6 batters on base. He would give up an RBI double to Xander Bogaerts but by and large he had a decent day.

Like Game 2, a lot of this one consisted of the Brewers' bullpen dangling themselves in front of Jim and Jim not getting the roles to take advantage. Pierce Johnson walked two straight batters [after I said aloud that I really should have used Birdsong in this situation], then Donovan grounded into a double play and Andujar struck out [and Andujar, serves him right, went 0 for 4 this game]. Palencia had 2 outs in the ninth when he walked a batter, bringing Kyle Higashioka up to potentially save everything. Though it looked to advance a runner on a defensive split roll to the catcher, it was low enough to avoid being a passed ball and end the game on a pop-out. The realization of which hit Jim like a ton of bricks. 

Once again, the Brewers squeaked out of this one despite failing to capitalize on some late scoring opportunities. The D-Backs just did not get the rolls.

Very fun series with Jim, despite the rough go of it Jim had. The Brewers are now 28-44, are at 72 games and call-ups, and will play the Padres tonight, then go on hiatus for what I assume will be the rest of August. If the Nats, Reds or Dodgers get to 72 and want to fit something in, you can always reach out. The end of this season is in sight, and while it seems very similar to the previous one [even if I go .500 in my last 16 games I'd still be one game worse than I was last year], I am assured that next season will be a vast improvement.