Milwaukee Brewers vs Cleveland Guardians Picks and Predictions August 16th 2024

Cleveland is the favorite on the money line today, with their odds sitting at -117 compared to the Brewers at -102. Today’s over/under line is sitting at 8 runs, and the game is being played at 8:10 PM ET from American Family Field in Milwaukee. Gavin Williams is starting for the Guardians, and the Brewers are going with Aaron Civale.

Cleveland comes in with a record of 72-49 and they are currently on a five-game winning streak. The Brewers are leading the NL Central with a record of 69-52 and they have won two straight. Aaron Civale will be starting for the Brewers, and he will be facing off against Gavin Williams for the Guardians. The game can be seen on BSGL.

Cleveland vs. Milwaukee Key Information

Right-hander Gavin Williams gets the start for the Guardians today as he faces the Brewers on the road. Williams has made eight starts this season and has a record of 2-4 with a 4.38 ERA. His WHIP for the season is 1.36, and opponents are batting .253 off Williams this year. In his last outing, Williams picked up the win, going six innings and giving up just one earned run on three hits. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight starts. Williams has made two quality starts this year.

Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor have been the Guardians’ top power threats this season, as Ramirez’s 31 homers are 6th in the league and Naylor’s 26 homers is 10th in the MLB. Ramirez is also 2nd in the league with 98 RBIs, while Naylor is 5th with 88 RBIs. Over his last six games, Jhonkensy Noel has gone 6/19 with three homers and five RBIs.

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For the season, the Guardians are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.9 runs per game. As a team, the Guardians are batting .241, which is 13th in the league, and they are also 11th in home runs.

Right-hander Aaron Civale gets the start for the Brewers today and comes into the game with a record of 3-8 and an ERA of 5.02. So far this season, he has made 23 starts, and opponents are batting .265 off him. In his 23 appearances, Civale has turned in five quality starts and is averaging 8.59 strikeouts per nine innings. Looking back at his last outing, Civale picked up the win, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up two earned runs on five hits. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in four straight outings.

The Brewers come into the game as one of the league’s best offensive teams, averaging 4.8 runs per game. This has them ranked 8th in the league. They have been even better on the road, also averaging 4.9 runs per contest. Milwaukee has been a good home run hitting team this season, but their team batting average of .255 is 6th in the league. As a team, they are 3rd in walks and have the 3rd best on-base percentage in the league.

Willy Adames and Rhys Hoskins have been two of the Brewers’ top power threats this season, with Adames leading the team with 21 homers and Hoskins right behind him with 20. Adames’ 81 RBIs are 11th best in the league. Catcher William Contreras has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/30 in his last eight games with four homers. This has him batting .285 for the season.

For a money line pick, we are leaning towards the Brewers to come out on top at home vs. the Guardians. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 2nd lowest-scoring game of the day, and this one has the lowest combined strikeout projection in the league. Aaron Civale has the 4th best chance to pick up a win among today’s starters.

Guardians Look to Extend Win Streak Against the Brewers

The Cleveland Guardians are enjoying some real success on a five-game series of wins, and they’ll plan to make it six as they open a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night. August has been especially great for Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, who has been a vital giver during this stretch.

Gimenez’s August Flood

Andres Gimenez has been ablaze this August, batting .333 with 16 hits in 48 at-bats north of 13 games. His presentation has been essential in Cleveland’s new achievement, with the group averaging 4.8 runs per game during their five-game series of wins. Gimenez proceeded with his hot streak on Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs in a 6-1 triumph over the Chicago Cubs, denoting his fifth multi-hit round of the month.

“He’s trying to drive the ball right now,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “When he’s at his best, he’s trying to drive the ball. He’s been huge for us. Two very clutch hits for us (on Wednesday). That was the ballgame.” Gimenez’s ability to deliver in clutch situations has been a significant factor in the Guardians’ recent success.

Guardians’ Pitching Outlook

On the hill for Cleveland will be correct hander Gavin Williams, who holds a 2-4 record with a 4.38 Period. Williams is falling off serious areas of strength for an against the Minnesota Twins, where he procured a 2-1 win by permitting only one sudden spike in demand for four hits north of six innings. His ordering presence on the hill was noted by Vogt: “The manner in which he strolled in, I could see he was prepared. The manner in which he got on the transport, the manner in which he arrived, it just appeared as though an alternate disposition out of him. … Man, he was extraordinary.” This will be Williams’ most memorable vocation start against the Brewers.

Brewers’ Recent Performance

The Brewers, meanwhile, are also coming off a momentous win, having rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. Milwaukee’s offense has been buoyed by the hot bat of Jackson Chourio, who is hitting .365 since the All-Star break and has continued his strong performance with a two-run homer and a double in Thursday’s game. Chourio’s recent surge has been vital for a Brewers team that currently holds a comfortable nine-game lead in the National League Central.

Milwaukee’s capacity to dig out from a deficit has been a subject of late, with the group showing flexibility in their last two successes against the Dodgers. “That is the situation, simply continue onward,” Brewers first baseman/assigned hitter Jake Bauers said after Wednesday’s rebound triumph. “As banality as it sounds, it’s huge.” The Brewers’ capacity to keep on track and not lose sight of what’s most important, as underlined by hitting mentor Ozzie Timmons, could be critical as they plan for the postseason with only 41 games staying in the normal season.

Pitching Matchup: Civale vs. Guardians

Milwaukee will send Aaron Civale to the mound, a pitcher with a 3-8 record and a 5.02 ERA. Civale is coming off an 8-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds, where he allowed two runs over 6 1/3 innings. Civale, who was traded from the Guardians to the Tampa Bay Rays in July 2023 and then to Milwaukee last month, has had a mixed season with a 4.88 ERA in six starts for the Brewers. His familiarity with the Guardians, having faced them once last season, could give him an edge as he looks to shut down his former team.

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Guardians vs. Brewers: What to Expect

The Guardians will be hoping to keep up with their energy with a decent assault drove by Gimenez, while Williams plans to proceed with his new accomplishment on the hill. On the opposite side, the Brewers will depend on Civale’s insight and Chourio’s hot bat to counter Cleveland’s charge. As the series unfurls, the two groups will be hoping to set their particular positions — Cleveland in the wild-card race and Milwaukee as they edge closer to a season finisher billet.

This matchup between two groups with various directions vows to be an intriguing series, with each game conveying huge ramifications as the standard season attracts to a close. The Guardians’ emphasis will be on expanding their series of wins, while the Brewers mean to keep up with their predominance in the National League Focal and gather speed heading into the postseason.