Dodgers @ Brewers August 14, 2024: Walker Buehler returns as Dodgers look for sixth straight win

The Dodgers jumped on Colin Rea last night, tagging him for a season-high 10 hits and seven runs (matching his highest run total of the season) over six innings. That was plenty for the Gavin Stone/Landon Knack combo, as Stone allowed a run over five strong innings and Knack finished off the game with a four-inning save for Eric Stephen. This five-game win streak has been much needed, as Arizona and San Diego have also decided to simply stop losing baseball games. The Dodgers remain only 3 games up on them (both already won today), but have the best record in the NL and are tied with the Guardians for the best record in baseball. Mookie Betts was the first reinforcement to return on Monday, and today they get another one in Walker Buehler as they look to take the series from the Brewers.

	5:10 P.M.		Milwaukee
DH	Ohtani (L)	2B	Turang (L)
RF	Betts	LF	Chourio
1B	Freeman (L)	DH	Black (L)
LF	T. Hernández	C	Contreras
2B	Lux (L)	SS	Adames
3B	K. Hernández	1B	Bauers (L)
CF	Kiermaier (L)	CF	Mitchell (L)
C	Barnes	RF	Frelick (L)
SS	Ahmed	3B	Ortiz
P	Buehler (R)	P	Montas (R)

Buehler makes his first start since June 18 and only his ninth start overall this season. He got a late start to the season as he was still recovering from a second Tommy John Surgery and made eight starts before a hip issue landed him back on the IL. Buehler had a rough go of it in his return, with a 5.37 ERA/6.07 FIP in 37 innings. He allowed three or more runs in six of his eight starts and allowed 10 homers in only eight games. He ended on a sour note, as he allowed seven runs in four innings in Colorado before hitting the IL. Buehler made three rehab starts and the first two were pretty rough, as he allowed 15 hits and eight runs in only 7 1/3 innings. He bounced back nicely in his last rehab start, allowing one run and one hit in 5 1/3. He did issue three walks in that start, but pitched into the sixth and was pulled after 85 pitches. Buehler averaged 95.5 MPH on his fastball in his eight starts, which is down from prime Buehler numbers but slightly up from his 2021 and 2022 average (95.2 and 95.3 MPH). His velo was down across the board in his last start in Colorado, which was probably half attributed to his hip issue and half due to Coors being the Dodgers’ enemy.

Old friend Frankie Montas gets the ball for the Brewers. He was almost the best starter (arguably) moved at the deadline before the Dodgers swooped in on Jack Flaherty late, after the Reds moved Montas for Jakob Junis and Joey Wiemer. He only threw 1 1/3 innings in 2023 as he needed shoulder surgery and hit the IL with a forearm contusion after taking a comebacker off the arm in April. While he’s been relatively healthy this season, it’s been a struggle for him. Montas has a 5.10 ERA/4.92 FIP in 21 starts this season and has struck out 90 with 45 walks in 102 1/3 innings. Montas has allowed at least three runs in 11 of his last 15 starts and has allowed exactly three in both of his starts as a Brewer. The Brewers have won both of Montas’ starts, as they’ve cancelled out the six runs he’s allowed in nine innings by scoring 24 in the two games. This is his first home start as a Brewer, but he pitched in Milwaukee as a Red in June. Montas allowed three runs on four hits in five innings in a 5-4 Brewer win. He turned in those exact same numbers in his only start against the Dodgers this season in May, as he allowed homers to Betts and Shohei Ohtani. He’s made three starts against the Dodgers in his career and that one in May was pretty easily his best. He allowed five runs in four innings against the Dodgers in 2020 and allowed seven in only 2 2/3 innings in 2021. In 11 2/3 innings against LA, Montas has allowed 15 runs, six homers and seven walks while striking out only eight.

Montas has thrown his four-seamer 35 percent of the time this season, but has used it much more since becoming a Brewer (albeit with a sample size of two starts). He’s thrown it 44.4 percent of the time since the deadline. His splitter is his second-most used pitched on the season (20.6 percent), but he’s cut that to 15.6 percent of the time as a Brewer, his fourth-most used pitch. Montas has thrown a cutter 17.1 percent of the time, sinker 16.4 percent of the time and a slider 10.9 percent of the time overall. Since becoming a Brewer, his cutter and slider usage are both down (16.1 and 5.6 percent, respectively) but his sinker usage is up to 18.3 percent.

Will Smith sits after a three-hit game last night. He’ll almost certainly catch Jack Flaherty tomorrow morning, while Austin Barnes catches Buehler tonight. Kevin Kiermaier gets the start in center and Nick Ahmed starts at short.

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The roster move for Buehler was predictable.

4-inning save hero Landon Knack was optioned, as expected

— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) August 14, 2024

Knack was optioned after finishing off the final four innings of last night’s win. It was his fourth time being optioned, meaning he can only be optioned one more time this season.

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They’ll likely need another pitcher roster move when they head to St. Louis for a weekend series. Tyler Glasnow will now make his next start on four days rest. Justin Wrobleski could be back for that one.

Tyler Glasnow will not start on 4 days rest Friday. He'll go on Saturday in St. Louis. #Dodgers are looking at a couple options, per Dave Roberts. Most likely one is Justin Wrobleski

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 14, 2024

Glasnow will start Saturday instead. Wrobleski pitched decently in four starts for the Dodgers with a 4.05 ERA. He only allowed two runs in 10 innings over his final two starts, and both of those runs came after Evan Phillips relieved him with two on in Houston. He last pitched Saturday for OKC and allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings. He did walk five batters in both of his starts after being sent back down and has thrown his two highest pitch counts of the season in those two games (101 and 96 pitches).

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First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 PM PT and will be shown on SportsNet LA.