Ross struggles with command in Crew's rare lopsided night

MILWAUKEE -- As the Brewers have raced out to a hot start to the 2024 season, they’ve not only proven to be a resilient, hard-to-beat bunch, but a challenging team to blow out.

Of course, over the span of a 162-game season, there often is a first for everything.

“Twenty-six games in, that’s the first time we’ve been beaten like that,” said manager Pat Murphy following the Brewers’ 15-3 loss to the Yankees Saturday at American Family Field. It marked Milwaukee’s first loss by five-plus runs this season.

“Give these guys credit,” Murphy continued. “They were very, very good for 25 games. Tonight, things snowballed against us.”

Milwaukee raced out to a 17-8 start despite a long list of injuries, including to a pitching staff that is without three key starters already. DL Hall (left knee sprain) and Jakob Junis (right shoulder impingement) are on the 15-day IL. Wade Miley will soon undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.

With their injury situation, the Brewers have had to get creative to piece their way through games, leaning heavily on a bullpen that entered Saturday ranked eighth in MLB with 104 innings. Brewers starters, meanwhile, had thrown the fewest innings (120) in the Majors to that point.

It’s been an unconventional formula so far, and also one that could be tough to maintain, certainly in this stretch of playing 26 games in 27 days. Brewers starters know it’s on them to help get their bullpen some relief. Right-hander Joe Ross provided some help in that area Saturday, but also in one of his toughest outings in the young season.

In five innings, Ross allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits, including a home run. He walked three Yankees hitters and hit another, striking out five.

“As a starter, I feel like it's kind of our responsibility to get through five, at least,” Ross said after his outing. “Even five I wouldn't say is a great game. At that point, I was trying to get through five. I’m glad I got to get the pitch count up.”

Ross struggled with his command out of the gate. His first pitch of the night, a 96 mph sinker, hit Yankees leadoff man Anthony Volpe on the left arm. Juan Soto stepped to the plate next and walked in a six-pitch plate appearance.

It set up Alex Verdugo, who two batters later drilled a three-run homer on a slider Ross hung over the middle of the plate.

Ross worked a scoreless second inning, but a star-studded Yankees lineup put the pressure on throughout his outing. New York put the leadoff hitter on base in each of the first three innings, including a five-pitch walk to Aaron Judge in the third. Ross walked Giancarlo Stanton on four pitches two batters later.

All told, he faced 28 Yankees hitters and threw first-pitch strikes 11 times. He threw his four-seam fastball 29 times, including 15 balls.

The Brewers used two true relievers -- Thyago Vieira and Janson Junk -- before infielder Owen Miller took the mound in a game that continued to get out of hand after Ross exited.

“They obviously have a very good lineup, a lot of power hitters,” Ross said. “I just didn't really have great fastball command, which, it doesn't really matter who you’re facing. It’s not going to help.”

Ross had to grind through five innings, but Saturday’s outing could be an important step in his build-up during his first season back in the Major Leagues following 2022 Tommy John surgery. He threw 99 pitches, his most through five outings this season.

He’s allowed seven runs (six earned) in two of his past three outings but is feeling good on the mound, and his continued build-up could prove especially important for a Brewers team that could use more length.

“I feel like I have thrown the ball well,” Ross said when assessing his April. “I would say today is my least competitive outing as far as strikes and things like that. I haven't had the best results in some of the other games that I did throw the ball really well. I feel pretty good, so I can live with that and [am] just ready to keep going.”

Said Murphy: “I feel like Joe still did good things [Saturday]. I still have tremendous belief in him. … Games like this, I’m just not going to make it more than this. We lost the game. There's things to work on, plenty of things that reveal themselves, but look for the positive.”