The Milwaukee Brewers will turn to hard-throwing Jacob Misiorowski as they look to end a five-game skid when they face the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.
Misiorowski (1-1, 3.31 ERA) will be opposed by fellow right-hander Kevin Gausman (0-1, 2.08) in the opener of a three-game series.
The Brewers were idle Monday after losing at home to the Washington Nationals 8-6 on Sunday when the bullpen allowed six runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
Toronto also was off Monday after concluding a six-game homestand with an 8-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins, dropping to 1-4-0 in series play this season. Starter Max Scherzer was tagged for eight runs in 2 1/3 innings. The Blue Jays outhit the Twins 12-8 but stranded 12 runners and finished 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
“I think just kind of missing that hit to kind of keep the game flow where it should be,” Toronto manager John Schneider said Sunday. “It seems like we’ve been playing kind of out of sync a little bit with an inning here, an inning there.”
Milwaukee, which had scored just six runs in its four previous losses, got a game-tying three-run homer from Gary Sanchez in the seventh inning on Sunday after two solo homers by Brice Turang and another by Jake Bauers.
It’s the first five-game losing streak for the three-time defending National League Central champs since a six-game skid in June 2023. It was the first time the Brewers were swept by the Nationals in Milwaukee since 2006.
“We’ll respond, we’ll figure it out,” Turang said Sunday. “We’ve got a really good team. When we’re just playing our game, we’re hard to beat. We know that. It’s just understanding each individual guy to trust each other and trust themselves.”
The Brewers, already without injured starters Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn, are waiting on test results for Christian Yelich, who departed from the Sunday game with tightness in his left hamstring.
“We’re most likely going to get some bad news on Yelich,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Sunday.
Misiorowski was saddled with the loss his last time out when he lost command after a dominant start as the Red Sox beat the Brewers 3-2 in Boston last Tuesday. He allowed just two hits through five innings and opened the sixth with his 10th strikeout, but then threw 11 straight balls and walked the bases loaded, with each runner eventually scoring after DL Hall replaced Misiorowski.
Misiorowski, named to the All-Star team last season after just five major league starts, has 28 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings this season and opponents are batting just .143 against him. The Tuesday game will be his first appearance against the Blue Jays.
Gausman has pitched far better than his record indicates. He allowed one run on one hit in six innings without a decision in his first start, followed by two hits over six scoreless innings with another no-decision.
Gausman took the loss his last time out, giving up three runs in 5 1/3 innings in a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Gausman is 2-0 with a 1.51 ERA in seven career appearances vs. the Brewers, including five starts. He faced them once last season, allowing one run in seven innings without a decision in a 4-1 loss on Aug. 30.
The Toronto bullpen combined to throw 15 1/3 shutout innings in the three games against Minnesota, allowing just five hits with 20 strikeouts and two walks.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting .345 (10-for-29) with three doubles, a homer and three RBIs over his past eight games. Daulton Varsho hit .348 over the last homestand with three doubles, two homers, five RBIs and four runs.
–Field Level Media
