San Francisco Giants vs Milwaukee Brewers Picks and Predictions September 10th 2024

Brewers Look to Lock Down the NL Central and Push for a Playoff Bye

The Milwaukee Brewers are in a strong position as they head into a key three-game series against the San Francisco Giants. With an 82-61 record, Milwaukee holds a nine-game lead in the NL Central and is well on its way to locking up the division title. But they’re aiming for more—a top-two seed in the National League playoffs, which would earn them a first-round bye.

That higher seed is slipping further from their grasp, though, after dropping four of their last five games. They’re now trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, who are battling for those coveted top spots. With just three weeks left in the season, the Brewers need to start winning again—and fast.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy isn’t backing down from the challenge. “We have an uphill battle, but I want that uphill battle to be attacked,” Murphy said. The Brewers will kick off their road trip with this series against the Giants before heading to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks. After that, they’ll host the Phillies in what could be a crucial series.

Recent Struggles at Home

The Brewers’ recent slump has been tough, especially their 2-4 homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies. In those four losses, Milwaukee’s offense struggled, scoring just nine runs. If they want to keep pace in the race for a playoff bye, they’ll need to get their bats going and find success on the road.

Right-hander Aaron Civale (5-8, 4.62 ERA) will take the mound for Milwaukee in Tuesday’s series opener. Civale has been up and down lately, but he’s had success against the Giants this season. In a previous start against San Francisco, Civale dominated, pitching seven shutout innings in a 6-0 win. His overall career record against the Giants is 2-1 with a stellar 1.59 ERA.

Giants Fight to Stay in the Playoff Hunt

The San Francisco Giants (71-73) are clinging to faint playoff hopes as they begin this crucial series at home. They’ve won two of their last three games, including a much-needed series victory over the San Diego Padres, but they’re still five games out of the final wild-card spot. With only 18 games left in the season, they need to leapfrog four teams to keep their postseason dreams alive.

The Giants are starting a six-game homestand, and every game counts. After Milwaukee leaves town, the Padres return for a rematch in what could be a make-or-break series for both teams.

Despite winning their last game, the Giants have been dealing with some tension. During Sunday’s 7-6 win, a miscommunication on a routine pop fly between Tyler Fitzgerald and Marco Luciano led to a heated exchange in the dugout. Giants manager Bob Melvin didn’t hold back in his criticism. “It’s unacceptable. It’s just bad—bad baseball,” Melvin said. “We’ve got to clean it up. Our defense has to get better.”

Giants Lean on Inconsistent Pitching

San Francisco’s pitching staff has been shaky lately, and the team will turn to right-hander Hayden Birdsong (3-5, 5.19 ERA) to start Tuesday’s game. Birdsong has struggled in his last two outings, lasting just 6 2/3 innings combined and giving up seven runs on seven hits.

One of those rough starts came against the Brewers, where Birdsong allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings in a loss to Milwaukee on August 29. With the Giants’ playoff hopes on the line, Birdsong will need a strong bounce-back performance. San Francisco has been hit hard by injuries to key starters like Blake Snell and Robbie Ray, making Birdsong’s performance even more critical.

What’s at Stake?

For the Brewers, this series represents a big opportunity to gain ground in the race for a first-round playoff bye. After a disappointing homestand, they need to find their rhythm again, especially offensively, if they want to stay in the running for one of the top two seeds in the National League.

For the Giants, the stakes couldn’t be higher. They’re still in the mix for a wild-card spot, but another series loss could all but eliminate them from contention. If San Francisco is going to keep their season alive, they’ll need better pitching, stronger defense, and continued offensive production.

Key Players to Watch

• Aaron Civale (MIL): Civale has had success against the Giants this year and will look to replicate that performance to give the Brewers a crucial win.
• Hayden Birdsong (SF): Birdsong needs a quality start to stabilize San Francisco’s rotation and help the Giants stay in the playoff race.

Conclusion

As the Brewers and Giants kick off this pivotal series, both teams are in desperate need of wins. Milwaukee is fighting for a playoff bye, while San Francisco is clinging to slim postseason hopes. With Aaron Civale looking to dominate again and Hayden Birdsong hoping to bounce back, Tuesday night’s matchup is set to be a critical one for both clubs. Expect a tense, high-stakes battle as these two teams look to make their playoff push.