Sun Aug 31 20:40:00 UTC 2025: **Brewers Hope for Dominican Cooking to Turn Tide as Tough Road Trip Looms**

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers are heading north to Toronto to face the Blue Jays, but a recent slump and grueling schedule have them looking for any advantage they can find. After dropping their series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks Thursday, the Brewers wrapped up their first losing homestand of the season.

Adding to the pressure is a daunting stretch of 19 games in 18 days without a scheduled off-day. While the Brewers (83-52) still hold the best record in the MLB and a comfortable lead in the NL Central, they’ve gone 5-8 since August 14th, a stark contrast to their dominant 29-4 run earlier this summer.

Adding insult to injury, starting pitcher Jose Quintana struggled mightily in Thursday’s loss, failing to find the strike zone and putting extra strain on the bullpen. “It was terrible,” Quintana admitted.

However, there’s a glimmer of hope. Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta is looking forward to facing Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and more specifically, Guerrero Jr.’s grandmother, Altagracia Alvino. She’s known for serving up delicious Dominican meals to visiting players, a tradition dating back to her son’s playing days. “Vlad, his grandmother is serving food to us all the time when we play against him,” Peralta said. “Beans, rice, chicken, all of our best food. I would like to meet her at some point.”

Manager Pat Murphy also expressed optimism, stating, “At the end of the day, we have depth. At this time of year, we need that. We have to make sure that we get well again.”

Milwaukee is also expecting the return of outfielder Jackson Chourio from the injured list, though they’ll be without closer Trevor Megill. The Brewers will face a tough Blue Jays lineup, known for their strong on-base percentage and slugging, before returning home to face the Philadelphia Phillies.

Read More