Not even an unexpectedly early exit by their starting pitcher can derail the Milwaukee Brewers these days.
Brandon Sproat had to be lifted in the fourth inning after suffering cramping in his right hamstring, but Chad Patrick took the ball and shut the Cleveland Guardians down from there to pave the way to a 9-4 victory at American Family Field on Wednesday night, June 17.
Patrick threw 3 ⅓ strong innings to stabilize a game that was teetering on disaster after Sproat surrendered a grand slam to cut what had been a comfortable five-run lead down to one, then a Jackson Chourio home run provided a little more breathing room in the borrom of the fourth.
Christian Yelich also homered and rookie Cooper Pratt logged a series of major-league firsts in just his second game with the Brewers with a pair of hits, a run batted in, a run scored and a stolen base.
Sproat, meanwhile, appears to not be in any danger of missing his next scheduled start – welcome news for a team that can’t afford any more injuries to its group of starting pitchers.
“It’s just a cramp. He’s fine,” said manager Pat Murphy, whose team won its 16th series of the season and ninth at home. “He’ll be able to make his next start.”
The victory moved Milwaukee to a season-best 19 games over .500 at 45-26, with the 45 victories tied for third-most in the majors.
BOX SCORE: Brewers 9, Guardians 4
A fast start for the Brewers
Yelich started the scoring off with a bang, hitting the sixth offering from Gavin Williams 387 feet out to left for the 10th leadoff homer of his career.
It was Yelich’s fifth of the season and first since May 25.
Then with two outs, William Contreras and Jake Bauers each drew walks that Sal Frelick cashed in with a double to center to up Milwaukee’s advantage to 3-0.
Pratt then got his first career hit in the major leagues out of the way quickly as he led off the bottom of the second with a ground-ball single to right. Two batters later he scored on a Yelich single and then Brice Turang doubled to center to drive in Yelich and up the Brewers’ advantage to 5-0.
“Would’ve been nice to have it yesterday, but it was fantastic,” said Pratt. “I was running and I was like, ‘Go, go, go, oh my gosh, get through!’ I was afraid he was going to dive or something and throw me out. And then once I saw it went through I was like, ‘Oh yeah,’ and I heard the crowd.
“It was sick.”
Brandon Sproat cruises until the fourth
Sproat, meanwhile, sailed through his first three innings, facing the minimum on only 33 pitches.
Then, just as quickly, he went off the rails by sandwiching a pair of walks around a single to load the bases to start the fourth. He recovered briefly by striking out ex-Brewer Rhys Hoskins only to surrender a grand slam to Daniel Schneemann that cut Milwaukee’s lead to 5-4.
After inducing a foul popout, Sproat was removed from the game with what was later announced as a right hamstring cramp after a short meeting on the mound with pitching coach Chris Hook and trainer Lee Meyer.
“He did cramp (in the fourth); I saw him reach for it,” said Murphy. “I thought it was poor concentration. When things started to go bad I think he lost whatever type of focus there was. It was poor because he was capable ot throwing the ball in the zone and didn’t, because he did it the first three innings.
“That’s youth, and something’s got to change.”
Afterwards, Sproat expressed his frustration.
“As dumb as it sounds, to be a cramp, it really sucks,” he said. “I mean, it’s the best thing but it kind of seems soft, honestly. It’s one of those things where you know it’s there. It’s annoying, I guess, is the best way to put it.”
Jackson Chourio provides some good vibes
On the heels of Sproat’s exit, David Hamilton reached on a one-out swinging bunt then stole second.
Chourio followed with a homer to right that made it just over the wall – his sixth in seven games and 10th of the season – and provided Patrick with a little more breathing room at 7-4.
Things had been awfully tough for the right-hander coming in after he’d allowed eight consecutive baserunners bridging a pair of nightmarish outings prior to Wednesday.
But he was nearly flawless in this one in place of Sproat. Patrick (4-3) walked the first batter he faced, whom he picked up mid-at-bat, then allowed only a double the rest of the way while striking out a season-high seven over 50 pitches.
“That’s the Chad Patrick we’re used to most of the time,” said Murphy. “Conviction.”
Patrick himself used the same term to describe his turnaround.
“I was convicted,” he said. “Just wanted to go out there and give it my all. Didn’t know how long it was going to be for, but just wanted to execute pitches and do the best that I could and throw it with conviction.
“In the bullpen you’ve got to have a short memory of your last appearances, even though it’s hard. But at the same time, it’s a new opponent. They don’t know me, and I don’t know them. So I get to go out there and try again.”
Capping the evening properly
After not reaching base since Chourio’s homer in the fourth, the Brewers racked up four hits in the eighth inning with Andrew Vaughn driving in a run with a pinch-hit double that bounced off third base and ricocheted into left field and one batter later Pratt lining his second single of the night to right which plated the game’s final run.
“He had two great at-bats where he stayed in the zone and didn’t try to do too much,” said Murphy. “Really proud of him.”
Pratt said things felt much more normal with his much-hyped debut from Tuesday behind him.
“A lot calmer,” he said. “Yesterday was kind of like figure out the schedule, trying to figure out where I’m supposed to be, when I’m supposed to be there. Trying to figure out the ins and outs and knowing when to do stuff and not being rushed.
“Just more relaxed because I got the first one out of the way and it was like, ‘You had your day. Now it’s time to play.'”
Aaron Ashby and Grant Anderson each pitched a perfect inning behind Patrick as Milwaukee’s bullpen combined to set down Cleveland’s final 14 batters in order.
Brewers record
45-26, first place in NL Central.
Brewers lineup
Guardians lineup
Brewers schedule and probable pitchers
Brewers vs. Guardians, June 18, 1:10 p.m.: Milwaukee LHP Shane Drohan (3-2, 3.59) vs. Cleveland LHP Parker Messick (6-3, 2.68). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers at Braves, June 19, 6:15 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Jacob Misiorowski (8-2, 1.34) vs. Atlanta TBA. TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs. Braves, June 20, 3:10 p.m.: Milwaukee LHP Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.47) vs. Atlanta TBA. TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs. Braves, June 21, 1:35 p.m.: Milwaukee LHP Robert Gasser (0-3-4.88) vs. Atlanta TBA. TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers 9, Guardians 4: Brandon Sproat exits early with hamstring cramp
Reporting by Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
