Now atop the Central Division standings after their three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs, the Milwaukee Brewers return home to open a big three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers at American Family Field on Friday night, May 22.
It’s the first meeting between the two teams since the Dodgers swept the Brewers, 4-0, in the National League Championship Series last October. And, of course, Milwaukee swept Los Angeles, 6-0, in the teams’ regular-season meetings.
Right-hander Logan Henderson (1-1, 3.50) starts for the Brewers while left-hander Justin Wrobleski (6-1, 2.49) takes the turn for the Dodgers.
Brewers making Justin Wrobleski work
With one out in the second, William Contreras lined a single to right and two batters later Andrew Vaughn sent a drive to the gap in right-center that one-hopped the wall and drove Contreras in from first, upping Milwaukee’s lead to 5-0.
By the time Wrobleski had completed the second, he’d already thrown 61 pitches.
Conversely, Henderson faced the minimum through the first three innings before the Dodgers loaded the bases on him in the fourth after a Shohei Ohtani single and walks to Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages.
But Henderson recovered to get Max Muncy to pop out and maintain the shutout.
He then stranded a leadoff single in the fifth, capping his evening with a strikeout of Ohtani. Henderson threw a season-high 85 pitches, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out seven.
Hit parade in the first inning for Milwaukee
A leadoff walk issued to Ohtani didn’t ultimately come back to bite Henderson when he struck out Mookie Betts and Freeman and then Contreras cut down Ohtani trying to steal second with help from a successful Brewers replay challenge.
Then Milwaukee’s offense came alive in the bottom of the first, with Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang beginning with singles and Contreras belting the first pitch he saw from Wrobleski 410 feet out to left field for the quick 3-0 lead.
After Christian Yelich popped out, Vaughn, Jake Bauers and Luis Rengifo all singled to load the bases for Sal Frelick, who lofted a sacrifice fly to left to make it a 4-0 game.
Joey Ortiz walked to again load the bases only for Chourio to strike out after a 10-pitch battle with Wrobleski, who needed 38 pitches in all to navigate the frame.
Brewers 2026 record
29-18.
Brewers lineup
Dodgers lineup
Brewers probable pitchers, schedule
Brewers vs Dodgers, May 23 6:15 p.m.: Milwaukee LHP Robert Gasser (0-0, 4.50) vs. Los Angeles RHP Roki Sasaki (2-3, 5.09). TV – FOX. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs Dodgers, May 24 1:10 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Brandon Sproat (1-2, 5.75) vs. Los Angeles RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-4, 3.32). TV – Brewers TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers 5, Dodgers 0: William Contreras with a big first-inning blast
Reporting by Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
