Brewers manager Pat Murphy pleased with the opening day performance
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy talks about the team’s 14-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
- The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-1, improving their record to 2-0.
- The Brewers’ aggressive baserunning was a key goal for manager Pat Murphy coming out of spring training.
- Christian Yelich and Brice Turang each recorded three hits in the victory.
One of manager Pat Murphy’s goals coming out of spring training was to get his Milwaukee Brewers back to running the bases aggressively in 2026.
Two games in they’re doing that and then some, with a 7-for-7 effort on Saturday night, March 28, helping pave the way to a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field.
Garrett Mitchell, Joey Ortiz and David Hamilton each swiped a pair off ex-teammate Reese McGuire – the catcher was in camp with the Brewers but was released at his request when it became apparent he wasn’t going to impact the major-league team and then landed with the White Sox – and Christian Yelich added another stolen base as Milwaukee finished tied for its third-most steals in a game in franchise history.
It was the fifth time in franchise history Milwaukee stole seven bases in a game and the first time since pilfering a record nine against the A’s last April 20.
“The players recognize, ‘Man, we can’t take this for granted,'” said Murphy, whose team has outscored Chicago, 20-3, so far in setting the stage for a potential season-opening sweep on Sunday. “(First base and baserunning coach) Spencer Allen has done a great job understanding where we were and preparing these guys and taking us to another level.
“The emphasis in spring training will always be on baserunning and defense.”
The Brewers now lead the majors with eight through two games and Hamilton has the most of any player with three as he continues to make a positive impression after having been acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox.
“It’s just a credit to the guys, a buying-in of how we have to do it, how Murph wants to play. So, I think it’s great,” Allen said. “We’ve got a whole clubhouse full of guys that are bought in and wanting to push it, and it’s great to see.
“It’s a lot of fun.”
Not so much for the opposing battery, however.
“I know that not just with me, but any baserunner, they know we’re trying to go,” said Mitchell. “So anytime someone gets on first, they’re already like, ‘Crap, here we go. Got to pay attention to that.'”
Box score | MLB scores
Off to a quick start
After starter Chad Patrick worked around a two-out single and walk in the top of the first, Brice Turang led off the bottom of the inning by doubling off the base of the wall in left field.
Turang went to third on a William Contreras comebacker, then consecutive singles by Yelich, Jake Bauers and Mitchell gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead as White Sox starter Sean Burke needed 29 pitches to complete the frame.
Yelich’s hit drove in Turang and Bauers’s hit moved Yelich to third, with Bauers advancing to second on an ill-advised throw in from right field as Everson Pereira tried cutting down Yelich rather than hitting the cutoff man.
Mitchell followed with a two-run single that made it 3-0 and then stole second before the inning fizzled out.
“Early on, it changed the game,” Murphy said of the heads-up baserunning by Bauers. “Takes that extra base. Now you stay out of the double play, and the base hit scores two.”
With two outs in the second, Turang lofted what turned out to be a bloop double that landed just inside the left-field line.
Contreras followed with a walk, then Yelich blooped a single to the left of the mound in an 0-2 count that Burke would have been better off just hanging onto.
Instead, he rushed a throw to first and Munetaka Murakami couldn’t corral it cleanly, allowing Turang to scamper home and extend Milwaukee’s lead to 4-0.
“Proud of the way the guys took their walks, battled with two strikes, put the ball in play a bunch,” said Murphy. “You’re going to have guys swing the bat great. You’re going to have guys who go through ups and downs. But that stuff never goes away, that fight and that (approach with) two strikes, how to get to first.
“We never lose sight of our goal. Our stats and stuff like that, who cares? That’ll all work itself out if you’re constantly trying to get to first.”
Chicago strikes back
Murakami unleashed on Patrick’s first pitch in the fourth and ended up with his second home run in as many games, a 409-foot blast out to right-center for the Japanese export.
Tristan Peters, a former Brewers farmhand, collected his first major-league hit two batters later when Mitchell couldn’t come up with his sinking liner to left-center, but Patrick stranded him at second.
Murphy pulled Patrick after Chase Meidroth’s one-out double in the fifth, and after issuing a walk to the first batter he faced Ashby got Hays to tap out and then struck out Murakami to keep it a 4-1 game.
In 4 ⅓ innings, Patrick allowed five hits, the lone run and a walk with four strikeouts in his 74-pitch outing.
“I definitely wanted to stay in,” Patrick said. “But just kind of understanding the situation, it’s not like spring training where you can just go back in and come out – it’s moreso building up from there. I felt like I commanded it.
“There were a couple at-bat that I let get away from me in the sense of being 0-2 to 3-2, but I felt like I threw it well.”
Milwaukee keeps the pressure on
Hamilton drew a one-out walk in the sixth, stole second and scored one batter later on Brandon Lockridge’s single to center to make it 5-1.
Angel Zerpa entered for the seventh and after Colson Montgomery singled with two outs, Austin Hays lined a double to left that Lockridge initially overran.
He got back to the ball quickly, however, and fired a strike to cutoff man Ortiz, who in turn fired a strike home to throw out a sliding Montgomery and keep Chicago off the board.
“Sometimes you see those plays,” said Allen, who also works with the team’s outfielders. “You see one mishap turn into a kick and another bobble. He didn’t panic; good on him. And then he had to hit Joey with an accurate throw. He did that, which allowed Joey to speed it up and make an unbelievable throw to the plate.
“That was a backbreaker, for sure.”
The Brewers finish it off
Milwaukee reached four more times in the seventh against ex-Brewers left-hander Bryan Hudson, with Mitchell starting things off with a one-out single.
He stole second and after Sal Frelick struck out, Ortiz singled him in to stretch the lead to 6-1.
Ortiz would eventually advance to second on a balk, then stole third, with Hamilton then walking and stealing second to leave Milwaukee 7 for 7 in steal attempts against McGuire.
A walk by Brandon Lockridge loaded the bases, but Turang flew out to center.
Ashby struck out four in 1 ⅔ to collect his first win of the season while Zerpa made his Brewers debut, Abner Uribe struck out a pair in his inning of work and DL Hall finished it out with a strikeout and a double-play grounder to end it.
Yelich and Turang each had three hits and Mitchell and Ortiz contributed a pair apiece.
“The kid hasn’t played in a couple of years, basically,” Murphy said of Mitchell. “He did some really nice things. Super talented. Ortiz was a standout. Two crucial knocks up the middle, staying short (with his swing).”
What time is the Brewers game tonight?
Time: 6:10 p.m.
What channel is the Brewers game on tonight?
TV channel: Brewers.TV.
Brewers 2026 record
2-0.
Brewers lineup
- Brice Turang 2B
- William Contreras C
- Christian Yelich DH
- Jake Bauers 1B
- Garrett Mitchell CF
- Sal Frelick RF
- Joey Ortiz SS
- David Hamilton 3B
- Brandon Lockridge LF
White Sox lineup
- Chase Meidroth 2B
- Colson Montgomery 3B
- Andrew Benintendi LF
- Munetaka Murakami 1B
- Lenyn Sosa DH
- Tristan Peters CF
- Everson Pereira RF
- Reese McGuire C
- Luisangel Acuña SS
Brewers schedule
Brewers vs. White Sox, March 29, 1:10 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Brandon Sproat vs. Chicago LHP Anthony Kay. TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs. Rays, March 30, 6:40 p.m.: Milwaukee LHP Kyle Harrison vs. Tampa Bay RHP Nick Martinez. TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs. Rays, March 31, 6:40 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Brandon Woodruff vs. Tampa Bay LHP Shane McClanahan. TV – Brewers.TV and FOX6. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs. Rays, April 1, 12:40 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Jacob Misiorowski (1-0, 1.80) vs. Tampa Bay RHP Drew Rasmussen (0-0, 1.80). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
