Reds pounce on The Miz in fourth-inning offensive outburst

MILWAUKEE -- Reds’ catcher Jose Trevino hadn’t hit a home run in more than a year, last connecting for a solo shot against Zac Gallen in a win over the Diamondbacks on June 8, 2025.

On Thursday afternoon, against one of the Major League’s best in the Brewers’ fire-balling right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, Trevino belted a three-run homer in the fourth inning to help lift the Reds to a 7-2 win, avoiding a sweep in the four-game series.

Trevino’s home run, which came on a 95.6 mph cutter from Misiorowski, carried into the left-field corner, traveling a Statcast-projected 358 feet with an exit velocity of 98.5 mph and landing just inside the foul pole.

The 33-year-old backup catcher, who entered the game hitting .192 with 10 hits in 52 at-bats, went 3-for-4 with a pair of hits against Misiorowski.

“We won, it didn’t matter,” Trevino said when asked about the homer, which gave the Reds a five-run cushion against Misiorowski at the time. “We were ready to hit. We were ready to go.”

Brewers manager Pat Murphy had high praise for Trevino’s effort.

"Credit the Trevino guy for changing the game," Murphy said. “He was clutch. Every hit he got was a two-strike hit. He was great for them."

The fourth began when JJ Bleday reach on a dropped throw by Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers. Eugenio Suárez singled and Nathaniel Lowe popped out before Noelvi Marte’s single pushed across a run. After Edwin Arroyo struck out, Trevino came to the plate for his game-changing at-bat.

“I love Trevino. He’s a great dude. I’m so happy he can have a good day like this,” said Sal Stewart, who homered in the first off Misiorowski. “He’s earned it. He’s someone who we definitely rely on."

It was billed as a matchup of budding aces with Misiorowski and the Reds' Chase Burns.

But the Reds struck early against Misiorowski, who came in as the Major League leader in multiple categories, including ERA, strikeouts and WHIP. Stewart, the Reds' second batter of the game, tagged a 102.7 mph Misiorowski fastball for a solo homer. It marked the fastest pitch a Reds player has homered off of under pitch tracking (started in 2008) and was the eighth-fastest home run pitch overall during that span.

“It gives us a run, which is huge,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “That kid [Misiorowski] has got some pretty special stuff, but Sal stayed short to right field and he’s strong enough to get rewarded for it.”

The 22-year-old Stewart, who also hit a solo homer on Tuesday, leads the Reds with 17 homers to go along with 60 RBIs on the season.

Prior to Stewart's homer, opponents were 4-for-46 in the regular season and postseason against Misiorowski in at-bats that ended with a pitch at 102-plus mph, including an Elly De La Cruz strikeout to lead off Thursday’s game. The four hits were all infield singles.

“We just wanted to come out and try to get on a streak here,” Stewart said. “I was excited. It was a good swing. He’s a very good pitcher.”

The Reds got five hits and scored five runs, although only one was earned, off Misiorowski (9-4) in five innings.

“Every time Miz goes onto the field now, everybody is expecting – like, ‘There’s no way he can give up runs,'" Murphy said. "People go through things. [Misiorowski] did not throw the baseball badly.”

The Reds also got to the Brewers bullpen for another home run, with TJ Friedl connecting for a solo homer off Grant Anderson in the seventh, his first since April 30. His RBI single in the eighth extended the lead to 7-2.

Burns (10-1) allowed four hits and two runs across six innings. He walked two and struck out four while throwing 89 pitches (55 strikes).

“Chase is right up there. I put him at the top of any list,” Stewart said. “He’s electric. Every time he gets the ball we know he’s going to attack. What he’s doing is incredible. What he does is nasty and he just goes and competes.”

Burns said he didn’t get caught up in the hype surrounding the matchup against Misiorowski.

“It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side. I just think about the same thing every time, going out there and doing my job and trying to put some zeros up there.”

Trevino saw it a bit differently, starting with warmups.

“He threw the ball really well,” he said of Burns. “He came out and had some of his better stuff. His bullpen, you could tell he was ready to go today.”