It was not the Milwaukee Brewers night tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays. It started with the first batter of the game when Yandy Díaz ripped a misplaced changeup from Kyle Harrison over the left field wall for his first homer of the season.
However, Harrison rebounded quite well from that first hitter, striking out eight across five innings of one-run ball, scattering just four hits.
“I thought he threw the ball well. For his first outing with us, he threw the ball really well and responded really well, especially after the first two innings,” Pat Murphy said postgame.
The Brewers offense was able to provide some support in the sixth inning when Brice Turang led things off with a double down the line, his fourth double already this season. Then, William Contreras followed with an absolute blast to center, his first homer of the year.
107 mph off the bat and 415 feet later, the Milwaukee Brewers had their first lead of the ballgame.
But that lead would be short-lived as Aaron Ashby, in his second inning of work of what’s already his third appearance of the season, allowed a leadoff home run to Jonny DeLuca of the Rays to immediately tie the game back up.
The Brewers had a chance to take a lead late in the eighth. Turang walked, and Contreras then smoked a line drive but right at Junior Caminero. Turang then stole second, and Luis Rengifo was intentionally walked to face Jake Bauers. Instead, Pat Murphy pulled Bauers against the lefty to put pinch-hitter Gary Sánchez at the plate. Sánchez struck out swinging and Murphy turned to Trevor Megill to preserve the 2-2 tie in the ninth.
Megill, pitching on back-to-back days, got the first two outs no problem, but then walked DeLuca on a full count and put the game in the hands of catcher Nick Fortes.
“We mound visited, and our message was ‘he’ll ambush fastball up, that’s what he’s looking for.’” Pat Murphy said.
Sure enough, Fortes ripped a fastball up and out of the zone to right-center for an RBI double and the Rays took a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Sal Frelick led off with a hit by pitch, but the bottom of the order couldn’t get him over and in with a Garrett Mitchell strikeout, David Hamilton flyout, and Blake Perkins groundout to end it.
“Two plays that killed us today was the two-out walk and then Contreras’ line drive (in the eighth) getting caught. That’s a double and that’s a run,” Murphy said.
Brandon Woodruff is on the bump tomorrow for the Brewers as he makes his first start of the season. He’ll face Shane McClanahan in his first start since the 2023 season for the Rays. First pitch is once again at 6:40 p.m.
