The Milwaukee Brewers will look for hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski to regain his pre-All Star form on Tuesday night when he takes the mound against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
Misiorowski (4-2, 4.19 ERA) will oppose fellow right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (12-8, 4.95) in the second contest of a four-game series.
The Brewers held on to take the opener 7-5 Monday after building an early six-run lead. Andruw Monasterio and Caleb Durbin homered for National League Central-leading Milwaukee, which is 5 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Chicago Cubs.
Brandon Woodruff, who missed all of last season while recovering from shoulder surgery, allowed just one hit through five innings before the Diamondbacks put up five runs in the sixth.
“In a game where we talk about the circumstances of getting here, we’re down 6-0, it would have been easy for a team to shut down, but not this group,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said afterward. “We fought, and hopefully that’s the catalyst for what we can come out here and do tomorrow.”
Misiorowski, named to the NL All-Star team in July after just five major league starts, has allowed eight earned runs in 5 1/3 innings over two starts since coming off the injured list on Aug. 14. The 23-year-old struck out eight but walked six in those two outings.
Misiorowski allowed three runs on just one hit and walked three in four innings in a 4-3 road loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.
“I think the easiest part is going back to what I know and trusting my stuff,” said Misiorowski, who will face the Diamondbacks for the first time in his young career. “It’ll come. It’ll be. You just have to weather the storm and ride the roller coaster of games.”
Misiorowski’s 136 pitches of 100 mph or more this season are second among major league starters, behind only Cincinnati Reds fireballer Hunter Greene (151).
Monasterio, thrust into the Brewers’ starting shortstop job after Joey Ortiz went on the injured list, is hitting .406 with two homers, four doubles and eight RBIs in his last 14 games.
Christian Yelich had two RBIs for Milwaukee on Monday, giving him 90 for the season. Yelich is hitting .333 with six homers, 21 RBIs and 14 walks in 23 games in August.
Pfaadt has pitched at least five innings in each of his four August starts, going 2-1 with a 4.18 ERA. However, he has given up 29 hits in 23 2/3 innings over that span. In his last start, Pfaadt allowed two runs over seven innings in a no-decision in Cleveland on Wednesday. Arizona won 3-2 in 10 innings.
Pfaadt has faced the Brewers twice in his career, both times in 2024. He is 1-1 with a 9.35 ERA vs. them, allowing nine earned runs in 8 2/3 innings.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. capped the Diamondbacks’ rally against Woodruff on Monday with a three-run homer. Gurriel has 32 RBIs in August, the third-most in franchise history, behind only J.D. Martinez with 36 in 2017 and Luis Gonzalez with 35 in 2001.