Missing the big hit

The Royals put runners on base, but can't push across a run.

After Monday’s 11-1 beatdown at the hands of the Royals, Milwaukee’s ERA actually decreased. That’s because they had spent their previous three games getting their brains bashed in by the Yankees and their torpedo bats.

In the first four games of 2025, the Brewers allowed 47 runs. No team in major league history had ever allowed more runs over the first four contests of a season. Their team ERA stood at an unsightly 12.27. Their starters’ ERA was 12.21. This was a total team effort to rewrite the record books.

So it was under that atrocious start from Milwaukee’s pitching that the Royals squared off against the Brewers on Tuesday night, the second in a three-game series.

Naturally, the Royals were shut out, losing 5-0. Baseball is funny like that. Although you probably aren’t laughing.

I thought Michael Lorenzen was sharp, especially in the early going. Both the sweeper and the changeup looked like they had strings attached. Even watching on TV, both offerings just seemed to glide up to the plate and suddenly just get yanked back a bit. He was also doing a great job working all edges of the zone. Even in the third inning, when Milwaukee touched him for two runs—the first on a home run, the second on a fielder’s choice—he was making good pitches.

This was how that high changeup was looking in a strikeout on Sal Frelick in the second.

These were the balls the Brewers put in play against Lorenzen through the first three innings.

The low changeup on the black on the third base side of the plate was the pitch Eric Haase hit out of the yard. On 0-1, I think that was a good pitch in a good location. Credit to Haase for going down and putting it into orbit. (That pitch was crushed.)

Things went off the rails in the sixth. Lorenzen walked Christian Yelich to open the frame and followed that up by issuing a free pass to William Contreras. After catching Sal Frelick on a nifty changeup on the black and at the knees, Rhys Hoskins lined one to center for a single. I thought for a moment that Yelich would have a difficult time scoring from second as his first move on contact was to break back toward the bag. Even though the ball wasn’t hit sharply, Isbel came up firing, but the ball took a bad hop on the mound and the run scored. They added another run on a fielder’s choice for the final margin.

In hindsight, manager Matt Quatraro stuck with Lorenzen for too long. The Royals probably should’ve been satisfied with his efforts through five and gone to the bullpen. But that’s just engaging in some good old-fashioned second-guessing. It wouldn’t have mattered. You can’t win if you don’t score.

Chad Patrick wasn’t even supposed to be here. He was optioned by the Brewers to Triple-A during spring training…early in spring training. Yet the Brewers injury list is full of starting pitchers. Aaron Ashby, Aaron Civale, DL Hall and Tobias Myers are all on the shelf, immediately testing Milwaukee’s depth. So Patrick was recalled from the minors before the season started.

He’s kind of a minor league journeyman at this point. Originally drafted by the Diamondbacks in the fourth round in 2021, he was traded to Oakland for Jace Peterson. A couple of months later, the A’s flipped him to Milwaukee for Abraham Toro. He spent all of last year with the Nashville Sounds in Triple-A and had a helluva season, winning the International League triple crown, leading all of Triple-A in wins, strikeouts and ERA.

Just the kind of guy the Royals can’t touch.

Patrick looked sharp. He struck out five and walked three—one of which was intentional. The right-hander worked mainly on his cutter and four-seamer. He didn’t get a lot of swings and misses, and the Royals did get some solid contact—all three of their hits were doubles. They just couldn’t get that next hit.

Three times, the Royals put two runners on base with two outs. On each occassion, they came up short. Isbel popped out to third after a walk to MJ Melendez was followed by a double from Maikel Garcia in the second. Michael Massey grounded out to first after Jonathan India hit a double and Bobby Witt Jr was intentionally walked in the fifth. And in the sixth Hunter Renfroe walked and Melendez was plunked before Garcia was called out on strikes. They ultimately left nine runners on base.

Rallies that never were.

Central Issues

Twins 8, White Sox 3

Chicago took a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning before they remembered they are the White Sox. Hell, they even had two outs and nobody on in the sixth with that lead. Two walks, four singles and a hit batter later and their three-run lead became a two-run deficit. They capped the scoring in the ninth with a three-run home run from Harrison Bader.

Guardians 0, Padres 7

The Padres continued their scorching start, using five pitchers to shut out Cleveland on two hits. Michael King started for San Diego and allowed those two hits but struck out 11 while going five.

Tigers 4, Mariners 1

For the second game in a row, the Tigers jumped out to a first inning lead with two-out singles from Kerry Carpenter and Colt Keith doing the damage. Starter Casey Mize was tremendous, allowing just 1 hit and three walks over 5.2 innings while striking out six. Riley Greene doubled and homered.

The Central has been kind of underwhelming thus far. That’s being kind.

It’s getaway day as the Royals and Brewers play the final game of their three-game set this afternoon. The rotations flip over for both clubs as Cole Ragans gets the start for the Royals. He will go up against Freddy Peralta. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m.