MILWAUKEE -- Jacob Misiorowski asked to go back to the mound for the eighth inning for the first time in his professional career. The Brewers’ decision-makers agreed. It could have been a breakthrough moment for a pitcher who seems to be getting stronger every time he takes the mound.
Misiorowski’s body refused to cooperate. It turns out that topping 103 mph into the seventh inning takes a toll, even when you’re 6-foot-7 and 24 years old.
Misiorowski set a season high and matched his career high by completing seven innings of Wednesday’s 3-1 loss against the Padres at American Family Field to run his scoreless innings streak to 18 1/3 innings during a sizzling month of May. But just like on May 1 against the Nationals, when his no-hit bid ended with one out in the sixth inning with a hamstring cramp, a quadriceps cramp cut Misiorowski’s night short before he could get underway in the eighth.
“I felt like I was in a good spot to keep rolling,” he said.
He appeared in a great spot. Misiorowski scattered four hits, didn’t walk a batter, struck out 10 and threw 40 pitches at 100 mph and above in seven scoreless innings, needing just 34 pitches for his final four innings of work. He ended an 11-pitch seventh by striking out Nick Castellanos with a 103.2 mph fastball, Misiorowski’s 93rd pitch of the night. It was his second hardest fastball of the game.
But after his first warmup toss in the eighth, the tall righty walked to the back of the mound, put his hand on his hips and then pointed to his right leg. Head athletic trainer Brad Epstein came for a visit, then manager Pat Murphy.
Smiling throughout the conversation, Misiorowski resigned himself to exiting the game.
“We would have normally taken him out, but he wanted to stay in for the eighth,” Murphy said. “He puts so much into it. I think we have people here to get [the cramping] under control. I don’t think it’s a concern.”
Is Misiorowski concerned that this has happened twice in a span of three starts?
“No,” Misiorowski said. “I dumped the tank in the seventh and was trying to push it and make it into the eighth. Honestly, I threw that first warmup pitch and was walking backwards up the mound and kind of felt it coming on. I stood there for a second, like, ‘Let’s see if it’s going to do it.’”
When the cramp set in, he knew his night was done. Aaron Ashby entered to deliver a scoreless eighth inning, and Abner Uribe was one out away from closing a 1-0 win in the ninth before the inning unraveled. Miguel Andujar singled just over the glove of leaping second baseman Brice Turang, Xander Bogaerts fought back from a 1-2 count to walk and Gavin Sheets hammered a hanging slider for a three-run home run to snatch victory from Milwaukee’s collective grip.
“That’s part of it. You’re going to have three to four of these every year,” Murphy said.
Asked about the many frustrating moments in that inning, Uribe said, “Why should I be happy?”
He was asked where he felt the inning went sideways.
“I think you saw what happened over there,” Uribe said.
Despite the abrupt ending, it was another step forward for Misiorowski, whose seven innings matched a career high set last season in Pittsburgh. He raised his Major League-leading strikeout total to 80 with his second straight double-digit strikeout performance, and fourth this season, while topping out at 103.3 mph.
“I honestly didn’t feel like I had my best stuff,” Misiorowski said. “I felt like I was spraying those first few innings. What helped a lot was that [the Padres] were swinging. … That was probably the biggest factor of it all.”
Provided he stays on schedule, Misiorowski’s next matchup will be the most important yet. He’s lined up to pitch next week at Wrigley Field against the NL Central-leading Cubs, and Misiorowski suggested he won’t miss that start.
“Nothing we haven’t seen before,” he said. “It will be fine. I’ll be ready to go.”