KANSAS CITY, MO – The Milwaukee Brewers suffered a pair of losses on Saturday night, April 4.
And while it appeared one may be especially costly, the news out of the clubhouse after the game was at least at bit more optimistic.
Sal Frelick was forced from what ended up being an ugly 8-2 setback to the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in the fourth inning with what the Brewers later termed “left side tightness” – general phraseology that often times precedes a diagnosis of an oblique strain, a much more troublesome injury depending upon its severity.
But both manager Pat Murphy and Frelick himself downplayed the exit, with seemingly no worry about anything other than some general soreness.
“I was fine to stay in,” Frelick said. “I didn’t think I needed to come out. There’s not much to it.”
Logan Henderson, Milwaukee’s 27th man in Game 2 of the teams’ split doubleheader, started and allowed two runs in two innings in his first appearance in the major leagues since Aug. 3.
The Brewers battled back to tie it in the third before the Royals broke the game open with six runs in the sixth against Brandon Sproat and Jared Koenig.
There were also a couple bits of news over the course of the day: Left-hander Sammy Peralta, who had been designated for assignment last week when outfielder Luis Matos was acquired via trade, was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies; and left-hander Rob Zastryzny was returned from his rehab assignment at Class AAA Nashville and remains on the injured list after suffering a setback.
He’ll return to Milwaukee for more testing in the meantime.
A fateful sixth inning
Sproat, who entered in the third, walked a batter in each of his first three innings but got away with it each time, thanks in part to a nifty pickoff move that caught Jac Caglianone at first in the fourth and a diving catch by Brandon Lockridge on a sinking liner by Maikel Garcia in the fifth.
The first hit Sproat ended up surrendering hurt big-time, as Salvador Perez parked a first-pitch hanging curveball out to left-center with one out in the sixth to put the Royals back in front, 3-2.
Sproat fanned Caglianone to get to within an out of limiting the damage only to surrender three consecutive singles – the third of which came from ex-Brewer Isaac Collins and drove in another run – and be replaced by Jared Koenig.
The move backfired badly as Kansas City went on to score four times with Koenig on the mound.
Kyle Isbel greeted Koenig with a fourth straight single, then Garcia doubled. After intentionally walking Bobby Witt Jr. to load the bases, Jake Bauers committed an error and Koenig fired a wild pitch to allow two more runs to score and make it an 8-2 game.
“Logan and Sproat were very good,” said Murphy.”Sproat got a little preoccupied there at the end and didn’t make the pitches he needed to, but he did some very good things. Made a bad pitch to Salvy and then lost his composure a bit with two outs.
“Koenig didn’t help him. He wasn’t his best tonight. But I thought Sproat did a really good job for three innings, a really good job. Looked great.”
In 3 ⅔ innings and 70 pitches, Sproat (0-1) allowed three hits, four runs and three walks with four strikeouts.
“Physically better (than the last start). Still frustrating,” he said. “Solo homer, 50-50 between balls and strikes. It’s not ideal.”
Sal Frelick exits with an injury
With two outs in the fourth, Frelick singled to center but was removed from the game not long thereafter following a visit at first base from head athletic trainer Brad Epstein and Murphy.
Replays showed Frelick grimacing following his swing and then running gingerly to first base. He was replaced by Lockridge, who then shifted to left field with Blake Perkins moving to right.
David Hamilton and Perkins followed with walks off right-hander Seth Lugo to load the bases, but Joey Ortiz struck out to end the threat.
The offense answers back
Hamilton’s single to center to open the third was the Brewers’ first hit off Lugo, who followed up by striking out Perkins and Ortiz.
That turned over the lineup, however, and Brice Turang answered his first 0-for in Game 1 by slapping a sinking liner to left field that Collins made an ill-fated diving attempt on.
The ball skidded past Collins and rolled to the wall, allowing Hamilton to scamper home from first.
One batter later, Mitchell kept up his hot hitting by doubling to the gap in right-center to drive in Turang and tie the score at 2-2.
Henderson, meanwhile, was replaced by Sproat after two innings and 35 pitches. He allowed three hits, two runs and a walk with three strikeouts.
“I didn’t know if the plan was 2, 3 or 4, but I wanted to give as much length as I could,” said Henderson, who arrived in Kansas City from Nashville late Friday night and will head back to Nashville on Sunday. “It’s definitely an honor to get the call.
“To be able to be back up here with the guys was amazing. I didn’t pitch the way I wanted to today. I thought there was some good but there’s definitely some pitches I want back.”
Royals grab the early lead
After facing the minimum in the first inning and striking out Witt and Vinnie Pasquantino, Henderson issued a leadoff walk to Perez in the second.
Two batters later Jonathan India singled and the next batter, Carter Jensen, roped a double down the right-field line that scored both. It was Jensen who earlier this week caused a kerfluffle when he overslept and reported late to the ballpark, scuttling a scheduled starter behind the plate for him and forcing Perez into duty.
What time are the Brewers games today?
Time: 1:10 p.m. and 6:10 p.m.
What channel are the Brewers games on today?
TV channel: Brewers.TV.
Brewers 2026 record
6-1 entering Saturday night.
Brewers second game lineup
Royals lineup
Brewers schedule
Brewers at Royals, April 5, 1:10 p.m.: Milwaukee LHP Kyle Harrison (0-0, 1.80) vs. Kansas City LHP Kris Bubic (1-0, 1.50). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers at Red Sox, April 6, 5:45 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Brandon Woodruff (1-0, 3.60) vs. Boston RHP Bryan Bello (0-1, 9.64). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers at Red Sox, April 7, 5:45 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Jacob Misiorowski (1-0, 2.45) vs. Boston LHP Garrett Crochet (1-1, 3.27). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers at Red Sox, April 8, 12:35 p.m.: Milwaukee TBA vs. Boston RHP Sonny Gray (1-0, 4.50). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Royals 8, Brewers 2: Double whammy as Sal Frelick leaves with an injury
Reporting by Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
