Brewers Manager Pat Murphy Defends Pitcher Jacob Misiorowski After Loss

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy wanted to remind everyone after his team’s 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night that Jacob Misiorowski is indeed human.

“He was great,” Murphy said of the 24-year-old ace. “He was dominant, fantastic. You know, you’re going to give up runs. You’re a human. Go back and look at some of the greats. They all gave up runs. We’re kind of shocked when he gives up a run.”

Misiorowski (8-3) went six innings and gave up two runs on five hits while striking out seven, but was pulled with the Brewers trailing 2-1. He hit 104.2 mph with his fastball and threw 54 pitches of at least 100 mph, according to Statcast, including a record 47 of 101 mph or higher since tracking started in 2008. The previous high for 101 mph or more was 45 by Misiorowski on 6 June against the Colorado Rockies.

It was the first time since 25 April that Misiorowski gave up more than one run in a game. He entered on a historic roll, giving up just one earned run over 54.1 innings in a span of eight starts.

“I think [the Braves] made good swings and nothing has changed,” Misiorowski said. “I felt fine. They are definitely a really good team. You could see that with all their at-bats today. There wasn’t a single at-bat they were off. They were all trying to fight me through the whole game.”

Misiorowski had gone 29 innings without allowing an earned run since 25 May before Mauricio Dubón’s two-run single in the sixth. His major league-leading ERA rose from 1.34 to 1.45.

Misiorowski has pitched well all season, but his 95-pitch, 15-strikeout, one-hit shutout of the Phillies on 12 June turned the spotlight on him like never before.

“He’s got a lot coming at him, and luckily I think a lot of that bounces off him,” Murphy said before Friday’s game. “I really respect how he lives his life that way. He clearly understands what’s important, that he’s got his priorities in order and hopefully it stays that way.”

Misiorowski entered Friday’s start averaging 100.1 mph on his fastball, the fastest ever for a starter in the pitch-tracking era. He hit 104.5 mph against the Phillies on a night when he threw at least 103 mph 13 times, including three times in the ninth inning.

Braves manager Walt Weiss discussed the challenges of facing the 6ft 7in right-hander.

“It’s big-time extension with big-time velocity, so the ball is on you,” he said. “[He] throws strikes, so you have to be aggressive. You’ve got to be ready to fire. It’s a tough guy to have two strikes against, because he’s punching people out.”

It was Misiorowski’s first time facing the Braves, though he had pitched at Truist Park before. Misiorowski threw a scoreless eighth inning for the National League in last year’s All-Star Game at Atlanta, making the team after just five career starts.

He was originally scheduled to oppose one of the pitchers he says he’s long admired in Braves ace Chris Sale, but a rainout Thursday in Atlanta pushed Sale’s start to Saturday.