The Milwaukee Brewers will turn to right-hander Brandon Sproat on Sunday to try to complete a season-opening sweep of the visiting Chicago White Sox, who will counter with left-hander Anthony Kay in a matchup of pitchers making their debuts for their new teams.
The Brewers scored three runs in the first inning Saturday and went on to a 6-1 victory, augmenting 12 hits with five walks and seven stolen bases to win the second game of the series. Milwaukee, bidding for its fourth consecutive National League Central title, pounded out a 14-2 victory in the opener Thursday.
On Saturday, starter Chad Patrick allowed one run over 4 1/3 innings and the bullpen put up zeroes the rest of the way. In two games, the bullpen has allowed one run in 8 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts.
“That’s kind of been a big part of our identity over the last few years,” outfielder Garrett Mitchell said of the aggressive base running. “Putting that type of pressure on teams, whether we go or don’t is what it is. But I think more of the can we go, or will they go — I think that puts more pressure on them than anything else.”
Milwaukee has won 14 of the past 16 games against the White Sox.
Sproat, acquired from the Mets in the offseason trade involving pitcher Freddy Peralta, was 0-2 with a 4.79 ERA in four September starts with New York last season in his big league debut.
Sproat was 8-6 with a 4.24 ERA in 26 games, including 25 starts, at Triple-A Syracuse last season before being called up by the Mets.
Kay, who pitched last season in Japan, will be making his first major league appearance since 2023 in relief with the Mets and first start since 2021 when he was with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Kay was 9-6 with a 1.74 ERA in 24 starts last season in Japan. He is 4-2 with a 5.59 ERA in 44 games, including seven starts, over parts of five big league seasons.
The two pitchers never have faced their Sunday opponent.
In the first two games, the White Sox have struck out 31 times, stranding 15 runners, and going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position in each contest.
“These guys, they’re playing hard, but we’ve got to clean up some of this stuff,” White Sox manager Will Venable said Saturday. “These guys can do a better job of it, for sure.”
One of the bright spots for the White Sox has been first baseman Munetaka Murakami, who has homered in each of the first two games. Murakami belted 246 homers during the previous eight seasons in his native Japan.
“He looks great,” Venable said. “He’s controlling the zone. The damage is there. We’ve just got to keep him out there, get some guys on base for him, and keep going.”
Murakami is the third player in White Sox franchise history to homer in each of his first two games with the team, but only player to do it in his first two major league games.
Chicago’s only other run so far was Chase Meidroth’s leadoff homer in the opener.
The Brewers roster took another hit Saturday when first baseman Andrew Vaughn was placed on the injured list with a broken left hand and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Highly touted catching prospect Jeferson Quero was called up from Triple-A Nashville.
Starting outfielder Jackson Chourio was placed on the 10-day injured list prior to the opener with a fractured left hand and could miss two to four weeks.
–Field Level Media
