The Milwaukee Brewers welcome the Cincinnati Reds to American Family Field on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, for an 8:10 PM ET first pitch with NL Central standings implications on the line. Left-hander Shane Drohan gets the ball for Milwaukee against Reds southpaw Andrew Abbott in a pitching matchup that should keep things interesting deep into the night. The game airs nationally on ESPN and the ESPN App, with local radio coverage on WTMJ 620 for Brewers fans tuning in from home.

Pitching Matchup: Drohan vs. Abbott

Shane Drohan steps into the spotlight at American Family Field, tasked with keeping a dangerous Cincinnati lineup in check. The young left-hander will need to establish his fastball early and use the mix to keep hitters off-balance. Drohan has the raw stuff to be a factor in this rotation, but Wednesday night is exactly the kind of start that defines where he stands heading deeper into the summer.

Andrew Abbott is no stranger to Brewers hitters, and the Cincinnati lefty has the arsenal to give Milwaukee's lineup legitimate problems. Abbott pounds the zone and works off his curveball effectively against right-handed bats, which means the Brewers will need to make him work early counts and get into the bullpen before he settles in.

Milwaukee Brewers Starting Lineup

• 1. Jackson Chourio — LF
• 2. Brice Turang — 2B
• 3. William Contreras — DH
• 4. Jake Bauers — RF
• 5. Andrew Vaughn — 1B
• 6. Garrett Mitchell — CF
• 7. Gary Sánchez — C
• 8. Cooper Pratt — SS
• 9. Joey Ortiz — 3B

Cincinnati Reds Starting Lineup

• 1. Elly De La Cruz — SS
• 2. Sal Stewart — 3B
• 3. Spencer Steer — 1B
• 4. Eugenio Suárez — DH
• 5. Tyler Stephenson — C
• 6. Noelvi Marte — RF
• 7. Ivan Johnson — LF
• 8. Matt McLain — CF
• 9. Edwin Arroyo — 2B

Keys to Watch Wednesday Night

Contain Elly De La Cruz

Everything starts with De La Cruz at the top of Cincinnati's order. The electric shortstop can beat you five different ways — exit velocity, sprint speed, arm strength, plate coverage, and sheer chaos on the basepaths. Drohan's ability to limit hard contact against De La Cruz in his first at-bat will set the tone for the entire evening. Let him get on and get comfortable, and Milwaukee's night gets exponentially harder.

Jackson Chourio Sets the Table

Chourio leading off is the right call, and the young outfielder needs to put pressure on Abbott from pitch one. If Chourio can get on base and Brice Turang works a quality at-bat behind him, William Contreras and Jake Bauers get fastballs to hit. That's when this Milwaukee offense hums. The formula is simple — it just requires execution.

Garrett Mitchell's Return to Form

Mitchell batting sixth and playing center field is worth monitoring closely. He has the athleticism to impact both sides of the ball on any given night, and a hot stretch from the bottom third of this order would give Milwaukee a lineup that's genuinely hard to navigate for opposing pitchers.

Prediction

This one feels like a low-scoring, pitcher-friendly Wednesday night at American Family Field. Abbott is tough, but Milwaukee's crowd gives Drohan a boost and the Brewers lineup has enough pop to steal this one late. Brewers 3, Reds 2. Grab a brat and settle in — it should be worth the watch.