5 Takeaways After Brewers' Critical Win Over Dodgers

Aug 5, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich (22) during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

5 Takeaways After Brewers' Critical Win Over Dodgers

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 14, 2026 12:01 PM ET

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The Milwaukee Brewers got back in the win column on Thursday night with a much-needed 5-4 win over the two-time reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Talk about a response after getting swept by the San Diego Padres earlier in the week, huh?

Shane Drohan took the hill in the series opener for Milwaukee and fired off 5 1/3 innings while allowing three runs and striking out five Dodgers. What was most impressive is the fact that the rookie held the powerhouse Dodgers lineup in check while allowing just three base hits.

He was great and gave Milwaukee a chance to win.

With that being said, he are five takeaways from Milwaukee's win and where the thing stands in general right now.

Shane Drohan Deserves His Flowers

Drohan deserves to be talked about even more. The 27-year-old came to town in the Caleb-Durbin-Kyle Harrison trade this past offseason and has been steady for the organization all season to this point. Whether he has been in the rotation, or the bullpen, Drohan has delivered. After losing three straight games against the Padres, the Brewers needed Drohan to step up, especially with the Chicago Cubs closing in on Milwaukee. He did just that.

Christian Yelich Looked Good

If the Brewers want their offense to wake up, they're going to need Yelich and William Contreras to turn things around. Both have struggled, which is why they have been moved down in the lineup. Yelich batted sixth on Thursday with Contreras one spot behind him. Fortunately, Yelich looked a little better against Los Angeles. He went 1-for-5 in the win. That may not sound like much, but he hit the ball well, even though they didn't all drop. For example, in the eighth inning, he hit one well that was tracked down out in left field.

Down two runs with a runner aboard in the eighth, Christian Yelich gave this Tanner Scott fastball a ride but Enrique Hernández tracked it down. pic.twitter.com/XxED0VfrfO
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) August 14, 2026

Trevor Megill Is A Beast

Remember when Megill was briefly taken out of the closer role early on this season? Well, everything has clicked since then. Megill had a 14.40 ERA on April 14. Since then, he has logged a 1.05 ERA and 19 saves in 43 appearances. Overall, he has a 2.44 ERA and 22 saves on the season in 49 outings. Just an absurd turnaround. On Thursday, he earned his 22nd save and had yet another clean inning.

What's Up With Antonio Senzatela?

Senzatela was one of the Brewers' big trade deadline additions . He had a 3.61 ERA in 34 appearances with the Colorado Rockies. On Thursday, he made his fifth appearance with Milwaukee and allowed a run. Now, he has a 9.82 ERA in Milwaukee.

NL Central Check

The Cubs have been chasing Milwaukee and even have been gaining ground , but the Brewers took care of business on Thursday. With Milwaukee's win and the Cubs' loss against the Washington Nationals, the Brewers now have a four-game lead at the top of the NL Central standings.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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