Instant Analysis: Brewers 6, Nats 1
Jacob Misiorowski departed his no-hit bid in the sixth with a hamstring cramp. The Nationals finally got a hit but still lost another home game.
The Nationals couldn’t knock Jacob Misiorowski from the game tonight. Only a hamstring cramp could keep the Brewers’ electric young right-hander from a shot at history.
Carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning with a triple-digit fastball that whizzed by every hitter who stepped to the plate, Misiorowski had to depart after his right leg cramped on a pitch to James Wood. Teammate Aaron Ashby finished the sixth and recorded the first out of the seventh before Daylen Lile blooped a double in front of a diving Blake Perkins in left field to foil Milwaukee’s combined no-hit bid.
The Nats managed to do a little bit more against the Brewers bullpen, scoring a run on Brady House’s groundout to third, but otherwise were shut down in their weakest offensive showing of the season. The team fell to 3-11 at home. (They’re 12-7 on the road.)
Jake Irvin, meanwhile, gave up another quick run in the first inning, then four more over his five total frames to dig his team into a 4-0 hole. Andre Granillo gave up two more in the eighth during a rally that included two infield hits (one of them a bunt) and an error on second baseman Nasim Nuñez.
NATIONALS PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: This was far from a bad outing for Irvin, who didn’t give up much hard contact and wasn’t helped much by his defense, either. But the right-hander did hurt himself with four walks issued in five innings. He also had a chance to get through the start with only two runs on the board but couldn’t finish the job in the top of the fifth, allowing two singles, another walk and then a two-out double to Tyler Black that turned a potential two-run start into a four-run start. After a string of recent encouraging appearances, this felt like a step back for Irvin.
BREWERS PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: Credit where credit is due: Misiorowski was incredible tonight, and the Nationals had no answer for him. He threw 85 pitches, a remarkable 43 of which reached at least 100 mph. He topped out at 103 mph. Perhaps more remarkable than that: He threw one slider that reached 98.4 mph, and one changeup that reached 94.2 mph. Alas, his evening came to an abrupt halt with one out in the sixth, when Misiorowski threw his slowest fastball of the game (98.9 mph), appeared to stretch his back and signaled to the Brewers dugout. After a lengthy discussion with a trainer and manager Pat Murphy, Misiorowski departed the game without even attempting to throw a warm-up pitch. His teammates picked up the slack, but nobody in the park wanted to see the kid’s dominant start end like that.
NOTABLE: Jake Bennett, the former Nats prospect who was traded to the Red Sox this winter for Luis Perales, made his MLB debut tonight and allowed one run in five innings against the Astros, earning the win. Perales currently has a 4.35 ERA and 1.306 WHIP in six games (five starts) for Triple-A Rochester.
UP NEXT: The series continues Saturday at 4:05 p.m., with Foster Griffin facing the Brewers for the second time in a month. Left-hander Kyle Harrison starts for Milwaukee. TV: Nationals TV RADIO: 106.7 FM
Misiorowski was really impressive, and hopefully he doesn’t miss much time. A 94.2 mph changeup is basically a fastball for MLB pitchers. I liked the patience the Nats showed and the way they tried to run up his pitch count. Sometimes that’s all you can do when a pitcher is having a dominant night.
Bit of a regression tonight, with only 3 of the 6 runs earned. Maybe they should all stay in a hotel and be bussed in for the game like they're on the road.