Milwaukee, WI
Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cleveland Guardians
The Milwaukee Brewers have surprised a lot of observers of the sport this year. They’ve gotten out to baseball’s largest division lead despite losing their best player and their longtime, highly respected manager, despite a season-long injury to Brandon Woodruff, despite their All-Star closer not getting his first save of the season until August. Most pundits picked them to finish fourth or fifth in the National League Central.
Perhaps the only team in the majors that has been more surprising than the Brewers this year is the Cleveland Guardians. Many expected that Cleveland would be one of several teams that could compete for a relatively weak American League Central, but they certainly weren’t the favorite: they were 76-86 last season, and there weren’t any major offseason additions that would make them a clear favorite. Additionally, their best starting pitcher, Shane Bieber, made only two starts before going down with a UCL injury that required Tommy John surgery.
It turns out none of it has mattered. Cleveland improbably jumped out to the best record in baseball, where they still sit at 72-49, a half-game ahead of the Yankees for the league’s best record. And they’ve got a comfortable 4.5-game lead on the Minnesota Twins (the preseason favorite) in the AL Central.
How have they managed it? The number one reason is that that they’ve got the best bullpen ERA in the league…by more than half a run. Emmanuel Clase has been the best reliever in baseball this season (a 0.64 ERA and only seven walks through 56 1⁄3 innings), but it’s not just him: Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, and Tim Herrin all have ERAs of 2.20 or lower in at least 49 innings.
They’ve also gotten solid production from their lineup, led by José Ramirez, who I think might make it to the Hall of Fame one day. A perennial MVP candidate that seemingly no one ever thinks about, Ramírez this season has 31 homers, 98 RBIs, 27 doubles, and 27 stolen bases in 30 tries. He’s on pace to surpass 5 WAR for the fourth straight season, and for the sixth time since 2016. He’s backed up in the lineup by Steven Kwan, who is no longer flirting with a .400 batting average, but who is third in the league in hitting at .325. Josh Naylor, for the third straight season, is providing a valuable run-producing role, as he has 26 homers and 88 runs batted in. One other player with solid production this year: former Brewers farmhand David Fry, who made an All-Star team this year as a 28-year-old DH in his second season. Fry was the PTBNL in the March 2022 trade for reliever J.C. Mejía. That one didn’t work out.
It’s worth noting that the last couple of weeks have been a little strange for the Guardians. From August 3-9, Cleveland lost seven in a row, their longest skid of the season by far. But they have won five in a row since then: the last two of a four-game set in Minnesota and a three-game sweep of the Cubs.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, August 16 @ 7:10 p.m: Aaron Civale (4.88 ERA, 5.47 FIP) vs. Gavin Williams (4.38 ERA, 3.18 FIP)
Gavin Williams is a second-year pitcher who just turned 25 at the end of July. He had an excellent rookie season in which he had a 3.29 ERA in 82 innings across 16 starts. Things have not been as smooth in 2024—he has a 4.38 ERA in 39 innings—but his FIP is just 3.18, and he’s done a good job striking out batters (9.7 per nine) and limiting homers (only three in 39 innings). Williams missed the first three months of the season after suffering an elbow injury in spring training, so he may still be settling in. He is coming off his best start of the year: six innings, four hits, one run, and no walks in a 2-1 victory over the Twins on Saturday.
Aaron Civale is also coming off one of his best starts this season: 6 1⁄3 innings and two runs allowed in an 8-3 victory over Cincinnati last Friday.
Saturday, August 17 @ 6:15 p.m: Freddy Peralta (4.11 ERA, 4.14 FIP) vs. Tanner Bibee (3.39 ERA, 3.40 FIP)
Freddy Peralta’s frustrating season continued Monday, when he allowed two two-run homers in six innings against the Dodgers in a 5-2 loss. He’s faced some good pitching lately (including two recent matchups with one of the NL’s Cy Young frontrunners in Chris Sale), and he’ll do so again on Saturday as he takes on Cleveland’s best starting pitcher this season, Tanner Bibee.
Bibee has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last four starts, and on the season he’s 10-4 with solid peripherals (9.7 K/9, 2.2 BB/9). Bibee, who is 25 and right-handed, is in his second year, and he’s been quite good in both.
Sunday, August 18 @ 1:10 p.m: Colin Rea (3.72 ERA, 4.56 FIP) vs. Ben Lively (3.71 ERA, 5.02 FIP)
Ben Lively (no relation to Blake, as far as I know) is a bit of a journeyman: he’s 32 and first appeared in the majors with Kansas City in 2017 but this is the first season in which he has reached 100 innings pitched in the majors. He didn’t appear in a major league game between 2019 and 2023, when he resurfaced with Cincinnati. He’s had a reasonably good season, at 10-7 with a 3.71 ERA, but there’s some reason for dubiousness, as his 5.02 FIP is significantly higher than his ERA. He doesn’t strike out many batters and gives up some walks and homers, all indicators of trouble, but he’s managed to limit damage this season.
Lively’s not completely unlike his counterpart on Sunday, Colin Rea, who has been excellent for much of the season but got shelled by Los Angeles on Tuesday. Rea and Lively have nearly identical ERAs on the season, though that bad outing against the Dodgers inflated Rea’s, and while Rea’s FIP isn’t as bad as Lively’s it’s still a solid tick higher than his ERA at 4.56.
Prediction
Cleveland comes in having won five in a row and they are thus hotter than Milwaukee, but they lost seven straight before that, so Milwaukee actually has the better record over the last two weeks. I’ll give Milwaukee the edge because they’re at home, but it should be a close, fun series between two of baseball’s best.
MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels
Partly sunny skies on Saturday with a slight chance for a few sprinkles or a shower.
Temperatures warmer on Saturday in the mid to upper 60s. Isolated 70s near the border. Breezy with winds gusting near 30mph.
Cooler temperatures in the upper 50s on Sunday (Mother’s Day) with increasing clouds. Patchy frost Saturday night into Sunday and Sunday night into Monday.
Next chance of rain and storms arrives on Tuesday.
Today: Partly sunny. A few showers possible. Breezy.
High: 67°
Wind: NW 10-25
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Patchy frost.
Low: 42°
Wind: NW 5-10
Sunday: Increasing clouds.
High: 57°
Wind: NW 5-15
Monday: Mostly sunny.
AM Low: 39° High: 59°
Wind: E 5-10
Tuesday: Warm and windy. Chance storms.
AM Low: 42° High: 68°
Wind: SW 10-25
Wednesday:Partly sunny.
AM Low: 46° High: 59°
Wind: NW 5-15
Thursday: Mostly sunny.
AM Low: 42° High: 64°
Wind: S 5-10
6-day planner
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
FOX Weather
Big picture view:
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
Milwaukee, WI
Bobby Portis and his mom share the story behind his foundation while honoring Milwaukee teachers
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Bobby Portis Foundation hosted a luncheon Friday at Roosevelt Middle School to honor teachers — many of whom are also mothers — with Mother’s Day and Teacher Appreciation Week overlapping on the calendar.
Portis and his mother, Tina Edwards, spent the day celebrating educators and reflecting on the mission behind the foundation.
“We just want to make sure that we let the teachers know you are appreciated because sometimes it goes beyond being a parent at home, but sometimes teachers are parents at school,” Edwards explained.
Ariel Campos, TMJ4 Sports
For Portis, a forward for the Milwaukee Bucks, the foundation has always been rooted in one person.
“The Bobby Portis Foundation has always just been solely based upon really my mom, and that’s the inspiration behind it,” Portis said.
WATCH: Bobby Portis and his mom share the story behind his foundation
Bobby Portis and his mom share the story behind his foundation while honoring Milwaukee teachers
Growing up, Portis watched his mother raise four boys on her own.
“My mom worked tirelessly to take care of all four of us,” Portis said.
Edwards made sacrifices for her sons from the very beginning — including turning down a basketball scholarship after becoming pregnant with Bobby.
“I still was offered a scholarship after I had him, but I wanted to choose him over ball,” Edwards said.
Tina Edwards
That sacrifice brought her full circle through her son’s career.
“With Bobby becoming an NBA player, he’s living my dream, and I’m living the dream through him,” Edwards shared.
For Portis, the event was an opportunity to honor everything his mother has given him.
“I can’t just put into words what my mom has done for me, not only for my basketball career – that’s just like a small portion of my life – I’m talking about just me as a human being, as a man. I mean, I didn’t have a dad growing up, so my mom played both roles. She did a hell of a job raising not only me but my three other brothers,” Portis said.
His grandmother’s message to spread his blessings continues to drive his work.
“Being able to be in a position now to have a voice, to have a platform, to give back, to help inspire. I try to use it to the best of my abilities,” Portis said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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MILWAUKEE — Saturday is the start of the food truck curfew in downtown Milwaukee. That curfew was passed by the Common Council to address safety concerns after several violent incidents.
Alma Juarez is with Tacos Almita on Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. Juarez said since the city passed the curfew, she’s had just over two weeks to adjust.
“We’re trying to think what we’re going to do,” said Juarez. “Maybe we’re going to start in another place or move the food truck after 10 p.m., but that means we have to start over again.”
She said that means she may also have to start building up a news customer base.
“Moving the truck means that… we have to struggle,” said Juarez.
Juarez is not alone in worrying about her financial future.
Last Thursday, a group of owners took their concerns to city hall. Jennifer Martinez, who’s with the food truck known as Tacos El Pastorcito Mixe, was at that demonstration. She said the late-night hours make up roughly 75% of her revenue.
“During the day, I’ve tried opening very early in the morning — 8 a.m. 9 a.m. — it doesn’t make a difference. There’s no… we don’t have much sales throughout the day,” said Martinez.
Ald. Robert Bauman represents downtown and was the sponsor of the ordinance.
Last week he told Spectrum News that he’s aware of the economic burden the truck operators are facing. However, he said safety concerns are a bigger priority.
“And MPD (Milwaukee Police Department) has said on the record repeatedly that food trucks are a major contributing cause for the loitering and disorder that takes place on Water Street,” said Bauman, who represents District 4 in Milwaukee.
He said he’s willing to take a hit on food trucks and prioritize the concerns of larger businesses.
“If they feel that downtown is not safe anymore, they’ll either not come at all, or they’ll leave as soon as their event is over with and not spend any additional money in the downtown area,” said Bauman.
But Juarez said the city shouldn’t have to do that. She said she believes food trucks aren’t the cause of the problem.
“You can see it in any places, but not here,” said Juarez. “It can happen here, but not in front of the food trucks cause they are saying that a lot of violence, a lot of the things that are going on is in front of the food truck. You can see that all the shooting happens after 1 a.m. or 3 a.m. Last shooting, it was after 1 a.m.”
Food truck owners said they hope to continue to turn a profit after the ordinance starts, but they said they face a potentially tough financial future.
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