Kicking the festivities off in the top of the first inning, Misiorowski was able to strike out the first two Yankees batters he faced on three pitches each. With Aaron Judge at the plate, he was able to quickly get the first two strikes, as he looked to become the first Brewers pitcher since Josh Hader in 2019 to throw an immaculate inning, and then he missed about an inch out of the zone. On the next pitch, he got Judge to fly out to right field to end the inning.
With how spotty the Brewers’ offense has been to start the 2026 season, jumping on a Cy Young Award candidate like Max Fried early in the game was crucial to any success they were seeking. Luckily for the Brewers’ bats, Fried struggled to find the zone, giving up back-to-back walks after allowing a lead-off single to Gary Sánchez. With the bases loaded, the Crew got RBI singles from Brandon Lockridge and Sal Frelick to take a 2-0 lead. Joey Ortiz was then tasked with yet another bases-loaded opportunity, although this time, it wasn’t the worst-case scenario, as he grounded into a fielder’s choice, allowing a runner to score to extend their lead to 3-0. After the RBI groundout, Jackson Chourio made his presence felt with an RBI knock, wrapping up a nine-batter, four-run bottom of the second inning.
As Misiorowski continued to wheel and deal, there was a scary moment with Lockridge, who was off to a great night at the plate. With Cody Bellinger at the plate, he hit a fly ball down the left field line, where Lockridge slid in foul territory, banging his knee into the cement along the wall. Lockridge was carted off the field and ultimately pulled from the game. Post-game comments from Brewers manager Pat Murphy indicate that his X-rays were negative for a fracture, though he suffered a deep laceration that goes to the bone.
The Brewers’ offense was able to scratch across two more runs following Lockridge’s injury, but made Fried work. He ended the night with six innings thrown, giving up five runs, three walks, and striking out five batters.
Outside of the stellar outing for Misiorowski, we saw a couple of other positives tonight. First and foremost, Ortiz hit his first extra-base hit of the season. They have gotten virtually nothing out of his bat this season, but perhaps this could be the turning point of his season, as he also had an RBI tonight.
On the pitching side, Shane Drohan picked up his first-ever career save. Meaning, first-ever save in high school, college, minor leagues, or major leagues. He threw three (almost) perfect innings as he allowed just one walk and struck out three batters.
Despite getting a much-needed game one win, two big questions loom: how long will Lockridge be out for, and who will be his replacement? Will we see the promotion of a top-performing prospect or an old friend rejoin the team after being in Triple-A for a week?
It’ll be another night of young shining stars on the mound as the Brewers go for the series win tomorrow night. Cam Schlittler will get the ball for New York while Kyle Harrison takes it for Milwaukee.
.webp?ssl=1 "What’s happening so far in 2026 – and who holds the key?")
