How MLB All-Stars prepare to face Jacob Misiorowski
A look at how some of the game’s best prepared to hit against Jacob Misiorowski
What a way to open the unofficial second half of the season.
Garrett Mitchell made a pair of spectacular running catches in center field to end the top of the ninth and 10th innings and then delivered the game-winning single with two outs in the bottom of the 10th to send the Milwaukee Brewers to a 2-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night, July 17.
BOX SCORE: Brewers 2, Marlins 1 (10 innings)
Joey Ortiz homered in the fifth inning to tie the game at 1-1, and the score remained that way through five more innings and six Milwaukee pitchers with Craig Yoho ultimately picking up his first major league victory.
Mitchell and Ortiz also accounted for four of the Brewers’ six hits in the game.
“I feel like the last couple at-bats I had I wasn’t really happy with,” Mitchell said, referring to a strikeout in the sixth inning and another again that ended the eighth. “Had a couple good pitches to hit and didn’t hit them, so I was pissed off about that.
“But I remember when I came back to the dugout Abner (Uribe) was saying, ‘You’re going to come up here and win us the game. Stay ready.’ So that was a really good teammate right there to pick me back up, keep me locked in. Just kept my mind in the right spot and I kind of told myself the inning before, ‘If I get up here, I’m going to end this game.’
“That’s just my internal thought process. When I went up there I went up there free and just trying to be aggressive.”
It was all Garrett Mitchell late
Mitchell made a tremendous running catch in center field to rob Heriberto Hernández of what would have been the go-ahead hit off Trevor Megill with two outs in the ninth inning.
Then with two outs in the ninth Joey Ortiz singled off Pete Fairbanks and Christian Yelich walked to put the deciding run in scoring position, but Jackson Chourio was called out on strikes despite Milwaukee having both challenges remaining
That sent the Brewers to extras for the 11th time on the season.
“When the breaking ball is coming at you and you think it’s going to angle this way, in your mind your perception is that it’s going to clip part of the plate and you trust the umpires are going to get it right,” manager Pat Murphy said. “Sometimes it’s hard to discern, but we’ve got to get better at that.
“No harm, no foul.”
Mitchell made another great catch in left-center to on a Joe Mack drive to help Yoho post a scoreless 10th.
“Made a good pitch and he obviously was sitting on the changeup, so credit to him,” Yoho said. “Our defense had made play all night and it’s kind of incredible having three centerfielders, basically, in the outfield. So, credit to G-Mitch on getting a great jump and making a great catch on that ball.”
Then with two on, two outs and with two strikes on him Mitchell muscled a sweeper from UW-Whitewater product Lake Bachar into center for his third career walk-off hit to give the Brewers 60 victories on the season in just 97 games – a franchise record.
“I think we were all very frustrated with how the first half ended, not really doing what we do,” Mitchell said, referencing the three-game sweep the Brewers suffered at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. “After playing 18 games in 17 days I think we were all ready for a couple days off just to collect ourselves physically and mentally.
“But we came back out here today and kept it close and played a better version of ourselves today, and I think that’s a great way to start the second half.”
Marlins, Brewers exchange fifth-inning homers
Starter Logan Henderson had faced just one batter over the minimum through four innings and struck out the leadoff man in the fifth before suffering forearm cramping in an at-bat against Griffin Conine.
He was visited on the mound by Murphy, pitching coach Chris Hook and assistant athletic trainer Lee Meyer but after throwing a couple warmup pitches was allowed to remain in the game.
Then, in a 3-2 count, Conine homered to right-center to put Miami in front, 1-0.
“It was a cutter I threw. I feel fine,” Henderson said. “Definitely frustrating because I feel like I put myself in a really good position. I’m happy with the way I feel now and obviously I don’t ever want that to happen again. We’re going to work on stuff in between and try to get it right.”
Henderson finished out the inning, then got the run back in the bottom of the frame when Ortiz of all people sent a line-drive homer of his own off Sandy Alcantara just over the wall in left to tie it up.
Christian Yelich followed by doubling and Brice Turang drew a walk two batters later, but William Contreras bounced out to Alcantara.
Henderson was replaced by Chad Patrick entering the sixth having allowed three hits and a run with four strikeouts over 73 pitches.
“With his injury history, we weren’t going to take any chances,” said Murphy. “He said he wanted to continue. He pitched beautifully. He kept us in the game.”
Sal Frelick exits with an injury
Entering the fifth inning, Sal Frelick was replaced in right field by Luis Lara with Frelick exiting due to right shoulder soreness.
“Sal tried to make a throw in the outfield and he felt it,” Murphy said. “He had a little issue with it earlier in the season. We don’t want to take any chances. They’re going to get an image at some point.
“I suspect he won’t be able to go anytime soon.”
What is the Brewers’ record?
60-37, first place in the NL Central.
What time is the Brewers game?
6:40 p.m. CT.
Brewers lineup
- Christian Yelich DH
- Jackson Chourio LF
- Brice Turang 2B
- William Contreras C
- Jake Bauers 1B
- Garrett Mitchell CF
- Cooper Pratt SS
- Sal Frelick RF
- Joey Ortiz 3B
Marlins lineup
- Liam Hicks DH
- Otto Lopez SS
- Xavier Edwards 2B
- Kyle Stowers 1B
- Heriberto Hernández LF
- Griffin Conine RF
- Jakob Marsee CF
- Joe Mack C
- Javier Sanoja 3B
Brewers probable pitchers and schedule
Brewers vs. Marlins, July 18, 3:10 p.m.: Brewers LHP Shane Drohan (4-3, 3.09) vs. Miami RHP Max Meyer (9-1, 2.58). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs. Marlins, July 19, 1:10 p.m.: Brewers LHP Robert Gasser (2-4, 5.24) vs. Miami RHP Eury Pérez (5-7, 3.78). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
