After a disappointing loss last night, the Brewers look to bounce back in tonight’s series finale. On their second go-around, Brandon Woodruff faces off against Joe Musgrove. A classic righty on righty matchup.
Joe Musgrove: Opening Day recap
This first Opening Day of his career ended with a loss as he gave up 3 earned runs in five innings of work. Even with the high pitch count at 99, Musgrove struck out seven batters. After the game Musgrove admitted his timing was off which led to a drop in velocity. For example, his four-seam fastball dropped from 94 mph to 91 mph. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pirates 5-4 on Opening Day.
From World Series Champ* to Pirates starter
Who else forgot that Gerrit Cole was a Pirate? We’re in the same boat. In 2018 when Cole was dealt to the Astros, Musgrove was sent to the Pirates along with 3B Colin Moran, LF Jason Martin, and RHP Michael Feliz.
Career as a Pirate
Solely a starter in his Pirates career, Musgrove has a full arsenal. On his best heater Musgrove could top out at 97 mph, but that’s a small percentage. Usually, he sits mid-90s with his fastball. His full arsenal, besides a fastball, includes a slider, change up, sinker and curveball. Musgrove went 11-12 with a 4.44 ERA in 170.1 innings pitched and set a career high season record of strikeouts at 157.
Musgrove has the Brewers’ number. In his career, he’s held the Brewers offense to a .192 batting average. The only two Brewers with a hint of success against Musgrove, Christian Yelich and Ben Gamel. Yelich is 5-13, and Gamel is 4-11, each with a home run against him.
Brandon Woodruff: Opening Day recap
In his last start against the Chicago Cubs, Brandon Woodruff went five innings while giving up two earned runs. We learned fast that one blemish can be the difference. The two runs Woodruff gave up were on a 2 run-home run from Ian Happ. Despite the home run, Woodruff was showing signs of promise as his fastball topped out at 99 mph. He was throwing high-heat all game. Woodruff threw 85 pitches through five innings of work.
Woodruff has below-average numbers against the Pirates. In five starts, Woodruff has a 5.02 ERA in 28.2 innings pitched. On the bright side, he struck out 31 batters in that time. Both pitchers look to bounce-back from their Opening Day starts.
The Milwaukee Brewers will face the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game One at PNC Park. Find a television or radio because the game will air on Fox Sports Wisconsin, and on WTMJ radio at 6:05 P.M. CST.
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