The Brewers swept a doubleheader in St. Louis, taking the opener 4-3 behind Jacob Misiorowski and Abner Uribe, then closing the night with a 10-2 rout behind Robert Gasser. That is a four-game winning streak now, a record that sits at 58-33, and a lead in the NL Central that has stretched to seven games over the Cubs. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are the team on the other end of this. St. Louis has lost four straight and now sits ten and a half games back, a steep fall for a club that spent much of the spring in the thick of the race.
There is no division in baseball right now that looks more settled than the NL Central, and nights like this are why. Milwaukee is not just winning games, it is winning them in bunches, against contenders and non-contenders alike. The rest of the division would love a signature response. So far, nobody has offered one.
The NL East Keeps Shifting
Atlanta's grip on first place in the East is loosening. The Braves were run off the field in Pittsburgh, falling 12-4 as Paul Skenes silenced their lineup and the Pirates piled on. Atlanta has now dropped three in a row, and Philadelphia is making the most of it. The Phillies beat Cincinnati 4-1 behind Zack Wheeler, with Jhoan Duran closing it out, and that result trims the gap in the East to two games. Miami is right there too. The Marlins won their fourth straight, edging Seattle 6-5 on the road, a result that keeps them within three games of the top spot.
Three teams within three games of first place, with the presumed favorite suddenly cold, makes for the kind of division race that rewards close attention over the next week.
The AL Central Stays Crowded
Chicago's lead in the Central has not disappeared, but it has not grown either. The White Sox fell 8-1 to Boston, a lopsided loss that still leaves them a game ahead of Cleveland, if only because the Guardians are struggling just as much. Cleveland has now lost three straight after falling to Minnesota 3-1, a game that pushed the Twins to three wins in a row and pulled them back within three games of first. Detroit keeps quietly climbing too, winners of three straight after handling the Athletics 6-2, and the Tigers are now six and a half back in a division nobody seems ready to claim.
Around the Rest of the Slate
Tampa Bay beat the Yankees 6-4 behind Ian Seymour, a result that keeps the Rays four games clear in the AL East. Houston beat Washington 6-3, with Josh Hader closing it out, and Texas took care of the Angels 8-3. That loss stings more than most. Los Angeles has now dropped seven in a row, its worst stretch of an already difficult season, and the Angels sit eleven games back with a bullpen that has offered little relief. San Diego took care of business against Arizona, winning 4-1 with Mason Miller again finishing the job, while Toronto handled San Francisco 9-3 behind Patrick Corbin. Colorado pulled off a road upset in Los Angeles, beating the Dodgers 4-3 on a Juan Mejia win and a Jordan Romano save, a reminder that even the best record in baseball can have an off night against a team with nothing left to lose. And in a game that had no bearing on anything but the box score, Kansas City outlasted the Mets 16-12 in a slugfest between two teams still searching for their footing.
What to Watch Today
Milwaukee's lead in the Central is close to comfortable, but the more interesting races are the ones still churning. Watch Philadelphia and Atlanta closely, because two games is not much of a cushion for a team that just lost three straight. Watch the AL Central too, where four teams are separated by all of six and a half games. And keep an eye on the Angels, whose seven-game skid is now the longest active streak in baseball. Pour the coffee and settle in, because today's slate has a lot riding on it.
Tuesday's Final Scores
Milwaukee Brewers (58-33) @ St. Louis Cardinals (47-43) — Final: 4-3 Chicago Cubs (51-40) @ Baltimore Orioles (42-50) — Final: 5-2 Seattle Mariners (47-45) @ Miami Marlins (50-42) — Final: 5-6 Atlanta Braves (52-38) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (47-45) — Final: 4-12 New York Yankees (50-41) @ Tampa Bay Rays (53-36) — Final: 4-6 Athletics (41-50) @ Detroit Tigers (41-50) — Final: 2-6 Houston Astros (46-48) @ Washington Nationals (47-46) — Final: 6-3 Kansas City Royals (38-54) @ New York Mets (38-54) — Final: 16-12 Philadelphia Phillies (51-41) @ Cincinnati Reds (41-49) — Final: 4-1 Boston Red Sox (41-48) @ Chicago White Sox (47-43) — Final: 8-1 Cleveland Guardians (47-45) @ Minnesota Twins (45-47) — Final: 1-3 Milwaukee Brewers (58-33) @ St. Louis Cardinals (47-43) — Final: 10-2 Los Angeles Angels (36-56) @ Texas Rangers (46-45) — Final: 3-8 Arizona Diamondbacks (45-46) @ San Diego Padres (45-46) — Final: 1-4 Toronto Blue Jays (43-49) @ San Francisco Giants (38-53) — Final: 9-3 Colorado Rockies (38-55) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (60-33) — Final: 4-3
(Milwaukee @ St. Louis appears twice by design — that was a doubleheader.)
