As the headline suggests, there weren’t many positives in today’s game. The Brewers were just one out away from falling victim to a combined perfect game, ultimately losing 7–1 to the San Francisco Giants.
Giants starter Robbie Ray went five innings, racking up eight Ks in the process. Relievers Carson Seymour, Tristan Beck, and Matt Gage kept the perfect game going. Gregory Santos came in for the ninth and recorded two quick outs, but he lost the zone against prospect Cooper Pratt — throwing five consecutive pitches out of the strike zone to put Pratt on first. The next batter, Blake Burke, went down 0-2 before breaking up the no-hitter with a double down the right field line, scoring Pratt to give the Brewers their first and only run of the game. Unfortunately, that was where the scoring would end, as José Anderson struck out swinging to end the game.
Brewers starter Shane Drohan got hit around today, allowing six hits, four runs (three earned), and striking out five in four innings of work. He got through the first inning without allowing a run, with the Giants stranding Matt Chapman after a one-out double. The second inning was a different story. Drohan allowed a bunt single to Grant McCray before walking Bryce Eldridge, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Up next was Jerar Encarnación, who smoked a high and inside cutter 463 feet to give the Giants a 3-0 lead. That brought up Christian Koss, who beat out an infield single to give the Giants yet another baserunner — still with nobody out.
With Casey Schmitt batting, catcher Reese McGuire threw Koss out trying to steal second. Schmitt ended up walking, prompting Brewers manager Pat Murphy to pull Drohan in favor of Kaleb Bowman. Bowman got Willy Adames to strike out swinging for the second out, but Chapman hit another double — this one a ground rule — to put runners on second and third. Bowman then walked Patrick Bailey to load the bases before getting Luis Matos to hit a weak grounder to shortstop David Hamilton. That should have been the third out, but Hamilton bounced the throw to first baseman Jake Bauers, and Bauers couldn’t handle it. Bailey and Chapman both scored on the throwing error to make it 5-0, San Francisco.
Bowman melted down after that, walking the next two batters to walk in another run before finally getting Encarnación to line out to Garrett Mitchell for the third out. Since it’s spring training, Drohan reentered the game for the third and fourth innings and managed to hold the Giants scoreless. San Francisco added another run on an Adames sacrifice fly in the sixth inning off of Jacob Waguespack, Waguespack’s first earned run of the spring.
San Francisco’s pitching staff combined to strike out eleven Brewers while allowing just one hit (Burke’s double) and walk (to Pratt). As a team, Milwaukee allowed 11 hits and walked six batters. Overall, this was a game to forget.
The Crew is back at it again tomorrow against the Los Angeles Dodgers. First pitch is slated for the same time as today’s game, 3:05 p.m.