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Not often, if ever, does manager Pat Murphy pull a pitcher mid at-bat.
That's exactly what happened on Monday, Aug. 3, as the Milwaukee Brewers fell to 1-6 against the Pittsburgh Pirates this season.
For whatever reason, the Pirates have the Brewers' number, and they did some two-out damage against Brandon Sproat in the third inning.
Milwaukee's offense once again looked average at best as they dropped this game, 4-3.
Murphy wasn't thrilled with Sproat's performance, and that's an understatement. This offense should be reprimanded as well, but with Dustin May and Kyle Harrison joining this rotation, the Brewers face a major decision on what is best for Sproat's future.
At this point, it seems like the best thing for Sproat's career would be to get him into the Triple-A Nashville starting rotation. He was pulled during a 2-1 count after he threw back-to-back wild pitches. Fans at American Family Field showered him with boos, and that's the last thing this kid needed to fix his confidence.
"Another bad day letting guys down again," Sproat said, according to MLB.com's Zach Sweet. “The only thing I would take back there is just the walk."
After getting the first two Pirates batters out in the third inning, he allowed a pair of singles and then a six-pitch walk. Three pitches later, Pittsburgh won the battle with a two-out, base-clearing double that put Milwaukee behind, 3-0.
"I’m not going to stress over it and try to play GM,” he added. “That’s not my job. I’m just going to keep pushing forward.”
No one will ever know what was said behind closed doors after this start, but Murphy gave Sproat a confidence booster when comparing him to Corbin Burnes' dreadful 2019 season.
"This kid has been better than Corbin was in ‘19, and look what Corbin turned into,” the two-time National League Manager of the Year said. “I’m not going to suggest that he’s going to turn into Corbin next year, but there’s a lot there.”
Murphy added, "We’re going to figure out what the next pieces are,”
Here in 2026, Sproat is 3-7 with a 5.27 ERA. His WHIP has risen to 1.42, and the 25-year-old hasn't thrown a scoreless start since Tuesday, June 23.
Sproat is 0-3 in his last three starts, and only one of those went deeper than five innings. There's a lot to love about his stuff, but for now, it seems like he's better off figuring things out down in Nashville while Harrison and May settle into this starting rotation.
Remember, Sproat was used out of the bullpen twice this season, so that always could be something to revisit in the postseason.
Continue reading...
That's exactly what happened on Monday, Aug. 3, as the Milwaukee Brewers fell to 1-6 against the Pittsburgh Pirates this season.
For whatever reason, the Pirates have the Brewers' number, and they did some two-out damage against Brandon Sproat in the third inning.
Milwaukee's offense once again looked average at best as they dropped this game, 4-3.
Murphy wasn't thrilled with Sproat's performance, and that's an understatement. This offense should be reprimanded as well, but with Dustin May and Kyle Harrison joining this rotation, the Brewers face a major decision on what is best for Sproat's future.
Sproat is likely Triple-A bound
At this point, it seems like the best thing for Sproat's career would be to get him into the Triple-A Nashville starting rotation. He was pulled during a 2-1 count after he threw back-to-back wild pitches. Fans at American Family Field showered him with boos, and that's the last thing this kid needed to fix his confidence.
"Another bad day letting guys down again," Sproat said, according to MLB.com's Zach Sweet. “The only thing I would take back there is just the walk."
After getting the first two Pirates batters out in the third inning, he allowed a pair of singles and then a six-pitch walk. Three pitches later, Pittsburgh won the battle with a two-out, base-clearing double that put Milwaukee behind, 3-0.
"I’m not going to stress over it and try to play GM,” he added. “That’s not my job. I’m just going to keep pushing forward.”
Murphy still has confidence in Sproat
No one will ever know what was said behind closed doors after this start, but Murphy gave Sproat a confidence booster when comparing him to Corbin Burnes' dreadful 2019 season.
"This kid has been better than Corbin was in ‘19, and look what Corbin turned into,” the two-time National League Manager of the Year said. “I’m not going to suggest that he’s going to turn into Corbin next year, but there’s a lot there.”
Murphy added, "We’re going to figure out what the next pieces are,”
Here in 2026, Sproat is 3-7 with a 5.27 ERA. His WHIP has risen to 1.42, and the 25-year-old hasn't thrown a scoreless start since Tuesday, June 23.
Sproat is 0-3 in his last three starts, and only one of those went deeper than five innings. There's a lot to love about his stuff, but for now, it seems like he's better off figuring things out down in Nashville while Harrison and May settle into this starting rotation.
Remember, Sproat was used out of the bullpen twice this season, so that always could be something to revisit in the postseason.
Continue reading...
