The Milwaukee Brewers aren’t going to be judged on anything but postseason success this season. That said, their second half began on the best possible note.

Over the weekend against the Miami Marlins, the Brewers displayed their clutch chops. Sweeping a series against a team firmly in the wild card hunt was an accomplishment enough, but doing so on a pair of walk-offs displayed the kind of mettle that will benefit Milwaukee when it gets to October.

After being shut out for eight innings in Sunday’s series finale, the Brewers struck against Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks, as a furious rally concluded in a three-run home run for William Contreras. It was arguably the high point of the season so far, but with 63 games to go, everything from this point forward becomes a more important tune-up.

Brewers pass early second-half test against Miami

The Brewers obviously expect Contreras to be among the most important bats for them in the second half, so to get such a dramatic, explosive swing from him early in the second half is a reassuring sign. But so many other things happened in this series that the Brewers could take heart in as well.

How about the fact that neither Jacob Misiorowski, nor Kyle Harrison, nor even Brandon Sproat, had anything to do with this series? The Brewers hope all three of those arms pass tests in the second half (Harrison’s health first and foremost) and perhaps that might even be the playoff rotation.

But Logan Henderson, Shane Drohan, and Robert Gasser brought their A-game in this series. The Brewers bullpen did Brewers bullpen things, leading to Craig Yoho’s first major league win in Game 1.

Now, Misiorowski and Sproat will get their chances to make their mark on the second half in the upcoming series against Freddy Peralta and the New York Mets. Peralta, who used to hold Misiorowski’s role as ace of the staff, was traded for Sproat in January.

Will the Brewers keep on passing tests? At 62-37, they’re blitzing their way to a fifth division title in six seasons, but they know nothing counts until the calendar flips to October.

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MILWAUKEE – Besides the waves and the water, it is usually the weather bringing folks out to the beach.

Milwaukee beach packed

What they’re saying:

“It’s beautiful outside today, sunshine,” said Ryan Scott, a beachgoer.

“It’s hot and sunny,” said Conor O’Keef, another beachgoer.

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Hundreds came out to Milwaukee’s Bradford Beach on Saturday. Those on the sand said the clear skies, low 80s, and clean air are a good change of pace from the past couple of days.

“Yesterday, it seemed no one was down here, but today it seems it’s cleared up a lot,” said Mio Demichele, a beachgoer.

Wildfire smoke in Milwaukee

The backstory:

On Thursday – Milwaukee’s sky was taken over by drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires. It helped Milwaukee register the worst air quality it has ever recorded.

“It’s been making me cough, and it’s awful.” said Antonia Aguilera, who was visiting Milwaukee. “I’m glad that today is at least, so far, has been pretty okay.” 

Saturday was fun in the sun – at least for the moment.

“You can already kind of see some of the smoke coming around in the tree area,” Aguilera said.

The poor air quality returned Saturday evening. It was a bummer for visitors – like Chelsea Kramen and Aguilera.

“I’m not shocked. It’s a little upsetting because we plan on being out here all day tomorrow too, but we’ll make it work,” Kramen said.

Why is wildfire smoke back?

What we know:

Weather experts said the recent cold front pulled the smoke back into the area.

By 7:30 Saturday night, the air quality reached 175, falling into the unhealthy category. This is especially true for people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens.

“I definitely think it’s a big concern for, I mean, the wildlife out here in Milwaukee, the people who are living outdoors and don’t have somewhere to go with a roof over their heads and get away from all of this stuff,” said Anna Davidson, a beachgoer.

When will air quality improve?

What’s next:

The Department of Natural Resources issued a statewide air quality advisory until noon Monday, when beachgoers said hopefully the smoke will clear for good.

Health experts advise if you are in those sensitive groups, you should avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep outdoor activities short, and consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling.

Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s reporter and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.

The Milwaukee Brewers are sitting somewhat comfortably in first place in the NL Central. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t cause for worry.

Before losing pitcher Brandon Woodruff to shoulder surgery, the Brewers lost another key piece of their team.

After Friday night’s game against the Miami Marlins, manager Pat Murphy implied that an IL stint would be coming for outfielder Sal Frelick after he hurt his shoulder on a throw from right field. Luis Lara would replace him in the game.

Frelick, according to the Brewers, has been placed on the 10-day IL with a right shoulder strain.

In a corresponding move, outfielder Blake Perkins has been recalled from Triple-A Nashville.

More On Milwaukee Brewers’ Sal Frelick

Frelick’s injury was not sudden. His shoulder had been bothering him for around two months, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. While a past scan revealed nothing more than inflammation, Frelick continued to have symptoms.

The discomfort was just limited to throwing until the last couple of weeks.

“I started feeling it swinging, not as bad as throwing, but it was creeping in there,” Frelick said.

This could very well explain the 2024 Gold Glover’s decline on both sides of the ball. After slashing .288/.351/.405 with 12 home runs and 19 stolen bases, Frelick has slashed just .236/.301/.330 with four home runs and six stolen bases.

His defense has also taken a hit. After having a career-high +7 Outs Above Average last year, per Baseball Savant, Frelick has just +1 Outs Above Average through 90 games this year.

Part of that can be attributed to a major decrease in arm value and strength.

The Brewers drafted Frelick in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Boston College. He would debut in 2023 as one of the best defensive outfielders in the game.

Perkins will take his place on the 26-man roster, but has struggled to a .157/.250/.258 slash line in 53 games this season.

Who Will Replace Frelick?

This likely won’t be a 10-day minimum stint for Frelick. The Brewers need to nip this in the bud now while the playoffs are far enough away.

While the Brewers could make an outfield addition before the Trade Deadline, it’s more likely that No. 4 prospect Lara will be seeing more time at right field.

Milwaukee signed Lara in 2022, and he has quickly risen through the ranks.

Lara doesn’t possess much power, but his run, field and arm tools are all elite, making him a logical fit to be Frelick’s replacement.

In limited at-bats, Lara has shown that he is up for the challenge with a .294/.429/.353 slash line in six games.

In 78 Triple-A games before he was called up, Lara had a .321/.432/.470 slash line with 24 stolen bases.

While Perkins is the more seasoned pick to replace Frelick, he is a glove-first, weak-hitting player. In his career, Perkins has a .223/.307/.330 slash line with 14 home runs in 295 games.

Jake Bauers also has experience in the outfield if need be.

One thing is for certain: if Frelick gets back to full health and starts hitting again, the Brewers will have a big chance of securing the NL Central once again.

Matthew Singer Matthew Singer is a sports reporter covering MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2025, and has two years of experience covering local professional, collegiate and high school sports, including writing for Cronkite News and Arizona PBS. More about Matthew Singer