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Did Jacob Misiorowski just pitch the greatest game in Milwaukee Brewers history?
Absolutely, and it wasn't even close, if you consult the "game score" metric. Devised by baseball luminary Bill James, is a pretty simple mechanism that opens at 50 for each starting pitcher and awards points for successes (1 for each out, 3 for each inning, 2 more for each inning after the fourth, 1 for each strikeout) but also subtracts for hits (2), earned runs (4), unearned runs (2) and walks (1).
Using the score, Misiorowski is the only Brewers pitcher to ever hit 100. Second-place (95) belongs to Corbin Burnes in a game where he threw eight innings of what became a no-hitter.
Here's a look at the other performances that at least hold a candle to Misiorowski's complete-game one-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 12:
Well, this certainly checks out. The second no-hitter in Milwaukee Brewers history featured eight hitless innings by the eventual 2021 Cy Young winner and one closing inning from Josh Hader, a final three outs that might take some shine from the achievement but not that Burnes was unreal.
He walked one batter, struck out 14 and helped Milwaukee prevail, 3-0.
The remarkable 18-strikeout performance marks the only game among the top 10 in which an earned run was allowed — an Andruw Jones homer in the seventh accounted for that tally in the 4-1 Brewers victory. Sheets allowed three hits (also a double) and one walk in the complete-game win.
Higuera worked 10 full innings for the complete-game shutout, allowing three singles, with two walks. He struck out 10 and helped the Brewers secure a 1-0 win. That game, however, is more notable for the offensive end, since the game-winning hit by Rick Manning ended Paul Molitor's 39-game hit streak with Molitor on deck. Higuera picked up the "Team Streak" mantle on his way to 32 consecutive scoreless innings.
This outing gets credit for its longevity; Colborn worked a crazy 13 innings of shutout baseball. The only problem was another Jim — Hall of Famer Jim Palmer — was likewise exceptional for the Orioles, posting 12 shutout innings. Milwaukee eventually lost the game in the 17th inning, 1-0.
Colborn allowed eight hits and six walks, so this can't truly stand alone on the dominance front. He struck out nine batters, but he posted only three 1-2-3 innings out of his 13, so this is more of a curiosity than a special demonstration of excellence.
Brewers fans are still salty about this one. Sabathia famously allowed one hit — a slow roller back to the mound that Sabathia himself didn't handle cleanly — and finished with three walks and 11 strikeouts in the complete-game 7-0 shutout of the Pirates. Brewers supporters still insist that it should have been ruled an error and Sabathia would have had the second no-hitter in Brewers history. Milwaukee lost 12 of its next 15, putting its playoff standing at risk and costing manager Ned Yost his job, though Milwaukee, of course, rallied to make the playoffs for the first time in 26 years.
Higuera wasn't done. Coming off his 10-inning shutout, Higuera continued his streak of scoreless innings with a one-hitter against the Royals, helping Milwaukee take a 2-0 win. Higuera retired the first 13 batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until Ross Jones tripled with two outs in the eighth. It's probably the better of the two consecutive Higuera performances in that run.
It's one of the most famous outings in Brewers history, coming from a pitcher making his Major League debut. It's the only eight-inning outing that ranks better than Burnes, with Woodard shutting down the Blue Jays and opposing ace Roger Clemens in a 1-0 victory. Woodard allowed one hit — a double to Otis Nixon leading off the game — and finished with 12 strikeouts and one walk on 119 pitches. Mike Fetters pitched the ninth in the first game of a doubleheader sweep.
Again, this is a feat of longevity more than dominance, but the rookie Wegman was still pretty steady. He worked 11 innings and allowed no runs on four hits, with four strikeouts and two walks but still couldn't get an upgrade to his 2-7 record.
The game wasn't decided until the 16th, when the Angels broke the seal and won the game, 3-1. Ray Searage and Mark Clear both worked two hitless innings after Wegman, but Wally Joyner's bases-clearing triple against Dan Plesac gave California what it needed. The Brewers got one back on a Jim Gantner single with two outs in the bottom half.
Garza allowed just two hits over nine innings in a 1-0 shutout win against the Reds, just at the front end of the 2014 team's plunge from the top of the standings. Milwaukee had lost four straight games when Garza delivered at Great American Ballpark, but the Brewers then lost the next seven and saw a 6½-game lead disappear by the all-star break. Aramis Ramirez's RBI single in the first accounted for the only run. Garza struck out nine and walked two batters.
Sheets worked nine shutout innings but didn't get the win — the game had a long way to go. Milwaukee fans will remember this 1-0 victory for a couple of reasons. For one, it didn't end until the 17th, when Scott Podsednik doubled in future skipper Craig Counsell with two outs to break the seal. For another, Sheets was absolutely crushing it, holding a perfect game with two outs in the seventh before Vladimir Guerrero swung at a ball off his shoe tops and singled to left to break up the perfection. It's the only hit or walk Sheets allowed in nine innings (another batter reached on an error), with five strikeouts and an economical 103 pitches. It was part of a sensational 2004 season for Sheets.
Somehow, there are three losses on this list (and the aforementioned Sheets game that wasn't settled until the 17th inning). Higuera struck out 10 and allowed just one walk and three hits in nine innings, but the Brewers wound up losing the game to the Royals, 4-0. Chuck Crim worked three scoreless innings after Higuera, but the Royals broke through for runs against Tom Filer and Plesac, while Charlie Liebrandt (eight innings) and Jeff Montgomery (five innings) kept the Brewers off the board on just five hits and two walks.
Note: No-hitters in Milwaukee by Carlos Zambrano on Sept. 14, 2008 (96) and Alec Mills on Sept. 13, 2020 (89) did not reach 100.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Where does Jacob Misiorowski rank among best game in Brewers history?
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Absolutely, and it wasn't even close, if you consult the "game score" metric. Devised by baseball luminary Bill James, is a pretty simple mechanism that opens at 50 for each starting pitcher and awards points for successes (1 for each out, 3 for each inning, 2 more for each inning after the fourth, 1 for each strikeout) but also subtracts for hits (2), earned runs (4), unearned runs (2) and walks (1).
Using the score, Misiorowski is the only Brewers pitcher to ever hit 100. Second-place (95) belongs to Corbin Burnes in a game where he threw eight innings of what became a no-hitter.
Here's a look at the other performances that at least hold a candle to Misiorowski's complete-game one-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 12:
Corbin Burnes, Sept. 11, 2021, vs. Cleveland (95 game score)
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Well, this certainly checks out. The second no-hitter in Milwaukee Brewers history featured eight hitless innings by the eventual 2021 Cy Young winner and one closing inning from Josh Hader, a final three outs that might take some shine from the achievement but not that Burnes was unreal.
He walked one batter, struck out 14 and helped Milwaukee prevail, 3-0.
Ben Sheets, May 16, 2004, vs. Atlanta (94)
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The remarkable 18-strikeout performance marks the only game among the top 10 in which an earned run was allowed — an Andruw Jones homer in the seventh accounted for that tally in the 4-1 Brewers victory. Sheets allowed three hits (also a double) and one walk in the complete-game win.
Teddy Higuera, Aug. 26, 1987, vs. Cleveland (94)
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Higuera worked 10 full innings for the complete-game shutout, allowing three singles, with two walks. He struck out 10 and helped the Brewers secure a 1-0 win. That game, however, is more notable for the offensive end, since the game-winning hit by Rick Manning ended Paul Molitor's 39-game hit streak with Molitor on deck. Higuera picked up the "Team Streak" mantle on his way to 32 consecutive scoreless innings.
Jim Colborn, Sept. 27, 1974, vs. Baltimore (94)
This outing gets credit for its longevity; Colborn worked a crazy 13 innings of shutout baseball. The only problem was another Jim — Hall of Famer Jim Palmer — was likewise exceptional for the Orioles, posting 12 shutout innings. Milwaukee eventually lost the game in the 17th inning, 1-0.
Colborn allowed eight hits and six walks, so this can't truly stand alone on the dominance front. He struck out nine batters, but he posted only three 1-2-3 innings out of his 13, so this is more of a curiosity than a special demonstration of excellence.
CC Sabathia, Aug. 31, 2008, vs. Pittsburgh (93)
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Brewers fans are still salty about this one. Sabathia famously allowed one hit — a slow roller back to the mound that Sabathia himself didn't handle cleanly — and finished with three walks and 11 strikeouts in the complete-game 7-0 shutout of the Pirates. Brewers supporters still insist that it should have been ruled an error and Sabathia would have had the second no-hitter in Brewers history. Milwaukee lost 12 of its next 15, putting its playoff standing at risk and costing manager Ned Yost his job, though Milwaukee, of course, rallied to make the playoffs for the first time in 26 years.
Teddy Higuera, Sept. 1, 1987, vs. Kansas City (92)
Higuera wasn't done. Coming off his 10-inning shutout, Higuera continued his streak of scoreless innings with a one-hitter against the Royals, helping Milwaukee take a 2-0 win. Higuera retired the first 13 batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until Ross Jones tripled with two outs in the eighth. It's probably the better of the two consecutive Higuera performances in that run.
Steve Woodard, July 28, 1997, vs. Toronto (91)
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It's one of the most famous outings in Brewers history, coming from a pitcher making his Major League debut. It's the only eight-inning outing that ranks better than Burnes, with Woodard shutting down the Blue Jays and opposing ace Roger Clemens in a 1-0 victory. Woodard allowed one hit — a double to Otis Nixon leading off the game — and finished with 12 strikeouts and one walk on 119 pitches. Mike Fetters pitched the ninth in the first game of a doubleheader sweep.
Bill Wegman, July 7, 1986, vs. Angels (91)
Again, this is a feat of longevity more than dominance, but the rookie Wegman was still pretty steady. He worked 11 innings and allowed no runs on four hits, with four strikeouts and two walks but still couldn't get an upgrade to his 2-7 record.
The game wasn't decided until the 16th, when the Angels broke the seal and won the game, 3-1. Ray Searage and Mark Clear both worked two hitless innings after Wegman, but Wally Joyner's bases-clearing triple against Dan Plesac gave California what it needed. The Brewers got one back on a Jim Gantner single with two outs in the bottom half.
Matt Garza, July 5, 2014, vs. Cincinnati (90)
Garza allowed just two hits over nine innings in a 1-0 shutout win against the Reds, just at the front end of the 2014 team's plunge from the top of the standings. Milwaukee had lost four straight games when Garza delivered at Great American Ballpark, but the Brewers then lost the next seven and saw a 6½-game lead disappear by the all-star break. Aramis Ramirez's RBI single in the first accounted for the only run. Garza struck out nine and walked two batters.
Ben Sheets, June 8, 2004, vs. Angels (90)
Sheets worked nine shutout innings but didn't get the win — the game had a long way to go. Milwaukee fans will remember this 1-0 victory for a couple of reasons. For one, it didn't end until the 17th, when Scott Podsednik doubled in future skipper Craig Counsell with two outs to break the seal. For another, Sheets was absolutely crushing it, holding a perfect game with two outs in the seventh before Vladimir Guerrero swung at a ball off his shoe tops and singled to left to break up the perfection. It's the only hit or walk Sheets allowed in nine innings (another batter reached on an error), with five strikeouts and an economical 103 pitches. It was part of a sensational 2004 season for Sheets.
Teddy Higuera, July 20, 1988, vs. Kansas City (90)
Somehow, there are three losses on this list (and the aforementioned Sheets game that wasn't settled until the 17th inning). Higuera struck out 10 and allowed just one walk and three hits in nine innings, but the Brewers wound up losing the game to the Royals, 4-0. Chuck Crim worked three scoreless innings after Higuera, but the Royals broke through for runs against Tom Filer and Plesac, while Charlie Liebrandt (eight innings) and Jeff Montgomery (five innings) kept the Brewers off the board on just five hits and two walks.
The games with an 89 score
- Corbin Burnes: Aug. 11, 2021. vs. Cubs. Burnes struck out 10 consecutive batters at one point to tie a Major League record and recorded 15 punchouts overall, second-best in franchise history. He only went eight innings, though, and that means he didn't rack up as high a game score as those who went a full nine (or longer). With that in mind, it's easily among the 10 most dominant starts in Brewers history.
- Freddy Peralta: April 3, 2019, vs. Cincinnati. Peralta struck out 11 and allowed just two hits with no walks over eight innings in the 1-0 win.
- Kyle Lohse: Sept. 24, 2014, vs. Cincinnati. Lohse struck out 11 and allowed two hits over eight innings, with no walks. The Brewers won, 5-0.
- Zack Greinke: May 9, 2012, vs. Cincinnati. Greinke allowed two hits and no walks with 11 strikeouts over eight innings, but the problem was the ninth. John Axford permitted two runs in the top half, and though Ryan Braun homered leading off the bottom and the Brewers loaded the bases, Travis Ishikawa flew out and the Brewers settled for a 2-1 loss.
- Yovani Gallardo: June 24, 2010, vs. Minnesota. Gallardo went all nine innings, allowing five hits and no walks with 12 strikeouts in a 5-0 victory.
- Cal Eldred, April 23, 1993, vs. Texas. Eldred allowed just one hit (a double by Rafael Palmeiro as the second batter of the game) over eight innings with 10 strikeouts and one walk in the 3-0 win. Eldred's walk came leading off the ninth, but Jesse Orosco induced a double play and then a strikeout to cement the one-hitter.
- Juan Nieves, April 15, 1987, vs. Baltimore. You're probably wondering how the franchise's only no-hitter doesn't rank higher on the list. Five walks and only seven strikeouts! But it's still one of the most notable games in Brewers history, completed in 128 pitches during a remarkable 12-0 start to the season.
- Danny Darwin, Aug. 19, 1985, vs. Minnesota. The only hit Darwin allowed was Roy Smalley's leadoff home run in the fifth; otherwise he finished with eight strikeouts, no walks and a 4-1 Brewers win. Darwin also hit a batter but was otherwise perfect.
- Mike Caldwell, Sept. 19, 1978, vs. New York Yankees. How appropriate that the Yankee killer show up on this list against the Yankees. In the 2-0 complete-game shutout, Caldwell struck out 10, allowed four hits and didn't walk a batter.
- Jim Slaton, Aug. 23, 1974, vs. Kansas City. The all-time wins leader in Brewers history worked 10⅔ innings in this game, allowing no runs on four hits and three walks, with six strikeouts. The Brewers won the nightcap of a doubleheader, 1-0, in the bottom of the 13th on a walk-off triple by John Briggs, one of five walk-off triples in Brewers history.
Five more amazing outings in Milwaukee
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- Harvey Haddix, May 26, 1959 (107). Widely acknowledged as perhaps the best single-game pitching performance ever … and certainly the best that ever resulted in a loss. Pittsburgh lost to the Milwaukee Braves in 13 innings despite the utterly brilliant Haddix, who lost his perfect game in the bottom of the 13th with Félix Mantilla reached on an error. After an intentional walk to Hank Aaron with one out, Joe Adcock hit a walk-off homer for the first Braves hit of the night (though it was ruled a double after he passed Aaron on the basepaths). Either way, the damage was done … the Braves officially had a 1-0 win. Lew Burdette had kept the Pirates off the scoreboard, and Haddix's bid at perfection had been transformed into an all-time crushing loss.
- Wade Blasingame, May 5, 1965 (104). It was the final season for Braves baseball in Milwaukee, but Blasingame showed the franchise still had a future. The 21-year-old worked all 14 innings, allowed five hits with six walks but only one run, and struck out 12 as the Braves defeated Houston 2-1. Eddie Mathews drove in the winning run with a two-out double against Claude Raymond in the 14th.
- Warren Spahn, Sept. 16, 1960 (100). He had to get mentioned here somewhere, right? Spahn's no-hitter against Philadelphia featured nine innings, two walks, 15 strikeouts and a 4-0 victory for the 39-year old legend. As it turned out, he'd throw a second career no-hitter the following year.
- Curt Schilling, April 7, 2002 (100). The Arizona star threw a one-hitter, striking out 17 batters in a 2-0 complete-game shutout for Arizona over the Brewers. He walked two batters and allowed only a single to catcher Raul Casanova in the third. Arizona's Junior Spivey, who'd become a Brewer the following year, singled in a run in the fifth against Sheets to account for essentially the winning run. Jeffrey Hammonds drew both walks for Milwaukee.
- Max Scherzer, June 14, 2015 (100). The Washington Nationals star was electric, allowing one hit with one walk in a complete-game shutout, racking up 16 strikeouts in the process. Only Carlos Gómez stood between Scherzer and a no-hitter, with a flair single leading off the seventh. The Nats won, 4-0.
Note: No-hitters in Milwaukee by Carlos Zambrano on Sept. 14, 2008 (96) and Alec Mills on Sept. 13, 2020 (89) did not reach 100.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Where does Jacob Misiorowski rank among best game in Brewers history?
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