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The Milwaukee Brewers fell short on Independence Day with a 4-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix.
A couple of things went wrong for the Brewers in their loss, let’s review them:
Just when it seemed like things were looking up for Brewers veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff, another setback occurred.
Woodruff was out of Milwaukee’s rotation for nearly two months after suffering dead arm symptoms in an April 30 start against Arizona that saw his velocity fall drastically and compelled him to leave the game after just 1.1 innings. On Saturday, he lasted longer, but ultimately met the same fate.
Beyond a rough first inning that culminated in a three-run home run for the Diamondbacks, Woodruff was holding his own. But in the bottom of the fourth after striking out the first two hitters he faced, Woodruff exited after his velocity fell dramatically below his average.
The 33-year-old made his return to the Brewers’ lineup on June 22 against the Cincinnati Reds with a 10-strikeout, one-hit shutout performance over six innings. It was vintage Woodruff; an illustration of how good he can be when healthy. Unfortunately, health has been fleeting.
Woodruff made another start on June 28 against the Chicago Cubs and delivered another effective performance to the tune of six strikeouts and only one hit allowed over 5.2 innings. On Saturday, Woodruff struck out six batters while allowing two hits, three earned runs and a walk in 3.2 innings.
Now, it is hard to say what the rest of the season looks like for him.
Right-hander Craig Yoho took over for Woodruff in the bottom of the fourth and provided 2.2 innings where he did not allow a hit. Then, Jared Koenig, who also recently returned from a lengthy stint on the Injured List, took over in the bottom of the seventh inning before giving up a costly RBI-double in the bottom of the eighth.
When it came to hitting the baseball and getting on base, the Brewers were highly productive.
However, it did not lead to runs.
Milwaukee's Brice Turang led the game off with a double to left field, and he and his teammates combined for 11 more hits on Saturday night, yet it only translated to three runs.
The Brewers had runners in scoring position multiple times and finished the evening with 12 hits in 38 at-bats, only to fall short of getting them across home plate. Striking out 10 times did not help matters, either.
In the top of the fifth, following Woodruff’s exit, the Brewers finally broke through thanks to another double by Turang that preceded a two-run home run by Christian Yelich that made it a one-run game. The momentum continued when William Contreras hit a single and Garrett Mitchell followed up with a double to help Milwaukee threaten again, but Andrew Vaughn struck out before Sal Frelick grounded out, and it ended the frame.
After Koenig gave up the RBI-double in the eighth, Jackson Chourio responded with a two-out, solo home run in the top of the ninth, but the Brewers’ rally fell short.
Milwaukee will look to win the series on Sunday at 3 p.m. CT.
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A couple of things went wrong for the Brewers in their loss, let’s review them:
Woodruff Hurt Again
Just when it seemed like things were looking up for Brewers veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff, another setback occurred.
Woodruff was out of Milwaukee’s rotation for nearly two months after suffering dead arm symptoms in an April 30 start against Arizona that saw his velocity fall drastically and compelled him to leave the game after just 1.1 innings. On Saturday, he lasted longer, but ultimately met the same fate.
Beyond a rough first inning that culminated in a three-run home run for the Diamondbacks, Woodruff was holding his own. But in the bottom of the fourth after striking out the first two hitters he faced, Woodruff exited after his velocity fell dramatically below his average.
The 33-year-old made his return to the Brewers’ lineup on June 22 against the Cincinnati Reds with a 10-strikeout, one-hit shutout performance over six innings. It was vintage Woodruff; an illustration of how good he can be when healthy. Unfortunately, health has been fleeting.
Woodruff made another start on June 28 against the Chicago Cubs and delivered another effective performance to the tune of six strikeouts and only one hit allowed over 5.2 innings. On Saturday, Woodruff struck out six batters while allowing two hits, three earned runs and a walk in 3.2 innings.
Now, it is hard to say what the rest of the season looks like for him.
Right-hander Craig Yoho took over for Woodruff in the bottom of the fourth and provided 2.2 innings where he did not allow a hit. Then, Jared Koenig, who also recently returned from a lengthy stint on the Injured List, took over in the bottom of the seventh inning before giving up a costly RBI-double in the bottom of the eighth.
Unable to Convert
When it came to hitting the baseball and getting on base, the Brewers were highly productive.
However, it did not lead to runs.
Milwaukee's Brice Turang led the game off with a double to left field, and he and his teammates combined for 11 more hits on Saturday night, yet it only translated to three runs.
The Brewers had runners in scoring position multiple times and finished the evening with 12 hits in 38 at-bats, only to fall short of getting them across home plate. Striking out 10 times did not help matters, either.
In the top of the fifth, following Woodruff’s exit, the Brewers finally broke through thanks to another double by Turang that preceded a two-run home run by Christian Yelich that made it a one-run game. The momentum continued when William Contreras hit a single and Garrett Mitchell followed up with a double to help Milwaukee threaten again, but Andrew Vaughn struck out before Sal Frelick grounded out, and it ended the frame.
After Koenig gave up the RBI-double in the eighth, Jackson Chourio responded with a two-out, solo home run in the top of the ninth, but the Brewers’ rally fell short.
Milwaukee will look to win the series on Sunday at 3 p.m. CT.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
