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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Milwaukee's ‘average Joes' happy to put pressure on the Chicago Cubs in an end of July showdown
MILWAUKEE — The Chicago Cubs came into the stadium formerly known as Miller Park on Monday to face a Milwaukee Brewers team that has found a new identity. They're calling themselves the 'average Joes' of baseball, a bunch of nobodies who don't know how to do anything but win. It's a nickname reminiscent of 'the Idiots,' the 2004 Boston Red Sox team that broke the curse and won a World Series for the first time in 86 years. Whatever works. On Monday, before the home team's 8-4 win, I asked Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich, a former Most Valuable Player and three-time All-Star, if he also qualifies as an average Joe. 'Are we part of it, yeah?' Yelich said. 'That's what we've got going on here, I think. We've been saying that for a little while, just as a joke. But I don't know. It's kind of true, also.' It's smart for the Brewers to cultivate an image of being 'average' when they know in their hearts they're a prime cut team. The difference is that the Cubs are like filet mignon sold at an expensive steakhouse, while the Brewers operate out of a steakhouse chain located somewhere off the interstate. The Cubs will always outspend the Brewers in the offseason and at the trade deadline, but it never seems to make much of a difference once the games are played. Yelich said the Brewers are playing with 'house money' since no one considers them in the same stratosphere as the Cubs. 'They're supposed to win the division, they're supposed to have high expectations, they have half our coaching staff,' he said. 'They made a bunch of trades, so if they don't win the division I'm sure it will be very disappointing. For us, we're just trying to make life tough on them and the rest of the league and seeing what we can do. That's always been our motto around here.' When you've played the role of underdog forever, it's second nature to pretend you actually are one. But the Brewers ran away with the National League Central last year, finishing 10 games ahead of the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. And they were once again ignored by most of the experts in their preseason prognostications after shedding stars Devin Williams and Willy Adames. But they entered Monday's showdown with the Cubs tied for first at 62-43, and had a 37-15 record since May 25, when they began the day three games under .500 at 25-28. 'Everybody probably tried to figure out how we win games every year,' Yelich said. 'Every year we're kind of picked to not do very well, or they say we're not going to be any good. It's all right by us, we just try to figure it out as we go.' A large contingent of Cubs fans made the drive up I-94 to see the matchup between Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd and Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski, who has already become a household name as 'the Miz.' Misiorowski is anything but average, throwing as hard as 103 mph and compiling a 4-1 record and 2.25 ERA over his first six starts. Opponents were batting .150 off him, and he's already thrown 101 pitches of 100 mph or more, second in the majors to Cincinnati's Hunter Greene, who has 124 triple-digit pitches. Misiorowski was chosen by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to be on the National League All-Star staff, despite having only five games under his belt at the time. Baseball wanted a chance to showcase a potential star, who was the first pitcher since at least 1900 to have more wins (2) than hits allowed (1) in his first two career starts. He joined the likes of Paul Skenes, Mark Fidrych, Hideo Nomo and Fernando Valenzuela, all of whom made a big splash to start their major-league careers. At the All-Star Game, Misiorowski was told that his nickname in Japan was 'Monster.' 'Awesome,' he said. 'That's a new one for me.' Misiorowski said it was 'crazy' for him to be in an All-Star Game, but he wasn't making any apologies for accepting an invitation, even as some players criticized the selection. 'Guys are going to talk,' he said. 'Oh well.' A year ago he was in Biloxi, Mississippi, toiling in obscurity in the minors. Now he's 'the Miz,' a legend in Milwaukee. The Brewers are riding the wave of every start, knowing it's one of those things that only happens in baseball once or twice a generation. 'He has a chance to do big things every time out there,' Yelich said. 'He's done well with all the new stuff that's come at him lately. It's all happened really fast and obviously points to his tremendous maturity. 'We all kind of knew about his stuff. He's one of those guys that I feel like he's snuck up on the scene somehow, as good as stuff as he has. We all kind of knew that. It's more (a question of command), whether he can get that under control or not. But oftentimes when a guy has that kind of stuff, he's super hyped, a top ten prospect, and 'can't miss.' 'I feel like he didn't really have that, probably because he's on the Brewers. He's one of us, one of the average Joes. If he was a prospect in a bigger market, he's probably a top-five prospect in baseball and there's a movie series being made about his journey through the minor leagues. We're glad to have him on our side. He fits our group well.' Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said the Miz is a unicorn who has caught the attention of every team. 'I guess (Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer) Strider was like that early on,' Swanson said of his former teammate. 'He needed to get called up to a different league in a way, he was so good and confident. It'll be a fun one (in Milwaukee), as it always is.' Misiorowski didn't have a great outing Monday, giving up three runs in four innings and making a costly fielding error. But he struck out seven while throwing 11 pitches of 100 mph or more. For a Monday night game in July, Monday's matchup had a serious playoff-like feel. But to the Joes, it was just another game. 'Our team doesn't feel any pressure,' Yelich said. 'We feel like no one even expects us to be in this spot anyway, so we're just trying to make life hard on them and the rest of the league.'
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Misiorowski rebounds after rough start as Brewers rally for win over Cubs
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brewers rookie sensation Jacob Misiorowski found out Monday night that it's not always smooth sailing on the mound in the major leagues. Sporting a 3-0 record with a 0.56 ERA in three starts at American Family Field since making his major league debut on June 12, Misiorowski had a forgettable first inning against the Chicago Cubs with first place on the line in the NL Central in front of a sellout home crowd. After allowing a bloop single and walk to begin the game, Misiorowski took a line shot off the bat of Seiya Suzuki to his shin. The 23-year-old then struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong but threw a wild pitch in the process, allowing a run to score. Then, after fielding a dribbler in front of the mound, Misiorowski's knee buckled as he threw wildly to first as two runners scored. Misiorowski threw 40 pitches in the inning, which ended when he struck out Nico Hoerner after a 10-pitch at-bat. 'It was a long inning and long innings suck,' Misiorowski said. 'Your legs start feeling a little loose and every pitch seems to be getting away just a little bit.' After the troublesome first, Misiorowski settled down and retired 10 consecutive batters while throwing 40 pitches over the next three innings as the Brewers' offense erupted for four runs in the third to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish en route to an 8-4 victory. 'Just trust that the team is behind me and is going to help me out and they did,' Misiorowski said of his mindset after the first inning. 'I thought I did my job of getting us into a position to succeed.' Clubhouse leader Christian Yelich offered encouragement for his young teammate. 'I told him it was my favorite start he's had in the big leagues,' Yelich said. 'This shows you a lot about what he's made of. You can get down on yourself big right there. That's how it's going to be in the big leagues. It can be messy sometimes. You've got to reach back and compete when that kind of stuff happens.' Manager Pat Murphy said he learned a lot about Misiorowski by how he handled the adversity. 'We're down 3-0. He feels horrible. It's like a fighter getting knocked down in the first round and he had to regroup,' Murphy said. 'And that he did. It just goes to how you the kid can pitch, not just throw. He'll remember this outing and he's going to learn from it.' Murphy said Misiorowski told him he was exhausted after the lengthy first inning. 'But he still gave us four (innings) and wanted to go out for a fifth,' Murphy said. Misiorowski allowed three hits and three runs in four innings. He walked two and struck out seven while throwing 11 pitches of 100 mph or more. The Brewers scored four runs off Matthew Boyd (11-4) in the third to take a 4-3 lead. Yelich had an RBI double, Isaac Collins a two-run single and Brice Turang a sacrifice fly. Andrew Vaughn hit a solo homer in the fifth and Sal Frelick hit another in the sixth to give the Brewers a 6-3 lead. After the Cubs got a run in the seventh cut the margin to 6-4, Yelich hit a two-run shot to give the Brewers a four-run cushion. 'We just had to keep putting together good at-bats, just grinding, getting in there and making it messy,' Yelich said. 'Just chip away. We didn't have to get it all back right away.' ___
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Misiorowski rebounds after rough start as Brewers rally for win over Cubs
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brewers rookie sensation Jacob Misiorowski found out Monday night that it's not always smooth sailing on the mound in the major leagues. Sporting a 3-0 record with a 0.56 ERA in three starts at American Family Field since making his major league debut on June 12, Misiorowski had a forgettable first inning against the Chicago Cubs with first place on the line in the NL Central in front of a sellout home crowd. After allowing a bloop single and walk to begin the game, Misiorowski took a line shot off the bat of Seiya Suzuki to his shin. The 23-year-old then struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong but threw a wild pitch in the process, allowing a run to score. Then, after fielding a dribbler in front of the mound, Misiorowski's knee buckled as he threw wildly to first as two runners scored. Misiorowski threw 40 pitches in the inning, which ended when he struck out Nico Hoerner after a 10-pitch at-bat. 'It was a long inning and long innings suck,' Misiorowski said. 'Your legs start feeling a little loose and every pitch seems to be getting away just a little bit.' After the troublesome first, Misiorowski settled down and retired 10 consecutive batters while throwing 40 pitches over the next three innings as the Brewers' offense erupted for four runs in the third to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish en route to an 8-4 victory. 'Just trust that the team is behind me and is going to help me out and they did,' Misiorowski said of his mindset after the first inning. 'I thought I did my job of getting us into a position to succeed.' Clubhouse leader Christian Yelich offered encouragement for his young teammate. 'I told him it was my favorite start he's had in the big leagues,' Yelich said. 'This shows you a lot about what he's made of. You can get down on yourself big right there. That's how it's going to be in the big leagues. It can be messy sometimes. You've got to reach back and compete when that kind of stuff happens.' Manager Pat Murphy said he learned a lot about Misiorowski by how he handled the adversity. 'We're down 3-0. He feels horrible. It's like a fighter getting knocked down in the first round and he had to regroup,' Murphy said. 'And that he did. It just goes to how you the kid can pitch, not just throw. He'll remember this outing and he's going to learn from it.' Murphy said Misiorowski told him he was exhausted after the lengthy first inning. 'But he still gave us four (innings) and wanted to go out for a fifth,' Murphy said. Misiorowski allowed three hits and three runs in four innings. He walked two and struck out seven while throwing 11 pitches of 100 mph or more. The Brewers scored four runs off Matthew Boyd (11-4) in the third to take a 4-3 lead. Yelich had an RBI double, Isaac Collins a two-run single and Brice Turang a sacrifice fly. Andrew Vaughn hit a solo homer in the fifth and Sal Frelick hit another in the sixth to give the Brewers a 6-3 lead. After the Cubs got a run in the seventh cut the margin to 6-4, Yelich hit a two-run shot to give the Brewers a four-run cushion. 'We just had to keep putting together good at-bats, just grinding, getting in there and making it messy,' Yelich said. 'Just chip away. We didn't have to get it all back right away.' ___ AP MLB:
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Yelich stars as Brewers rally past Cubs 8-4 in MLB
Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer, and the Milwaukee Brewers overcame a rough start by rookie All-Star Jacob Misiorowski to rally past the Chicago Cubs 8-4 on Monday in the opener of a key NL Central series. The win moved Milwaukee into sole possession of first place, one game ahead of the Cubs. After falling behind 3-0 in the first inning, the Brewers responded with a four-run third against Cubs starter Matthew Boyd (11-4). Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Artificial Intelligence Management Finance PGDM Public Policy Others Digital Marketing Degree Design Thinking others Product Management Technology Data Science Leadership Data Analytics Project Management CXO Data Science MBA Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details — MLB (@MLB) by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When the Camera Clicked at the Worst Possible Time Read More Undo Sal Frelick opened the rally with a single, and William Contreras added another hit before Yelich delivered an RBI double. Andrew Vaughn walked to load the bases, Isaac Collins tied it with a two-run single, and Brice Turang's sacrifice fly gave Milwaukee the lead. Frelick and Vaughn each added solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, extending the Brewers' lead to 6-3. The Cubs trimmed the deficit to 6-4 in the seventh on Kyle Tucker's RBI single, but Yelich answered in the bottom half with his 20th homer following a Contreras leadoff single. Live Events — MLB (@MLB) Misiorowski, making his sixth major league start, struggled in a 40-pitch first inning. He allowed three runs - two earned - on three hits, walked two, and struck out seven over four innings. Despite the rocky start, he finished strong with three scoreless frames. Nick Mears (2-3) earned the win with a scoreless inning in relief, one of seven pitchers used by Milwaukee. Trevor Megill closed out the ninth, striking out Seiya Suzuki with two on for his 24th save in 27 chances.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers execute strike-‘em-out, throw-‘em-out
Dodgers execute strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play to retire Yelich and Contreras in the bottom of the 8th inning
