NEW YORK – For the first time since 1979 and just the fourth time ever, the Milwaukee Brewers opened their season against the New York Yankees.

It won’t go down as a game to remember.

Freddy Peralta allowed home runs in the first and second innings to put the Brewers into an early hole, and the offense struggled to mount any sort of comeback effort in what ultimately went into the books as a 4-2 defeat at Yankee Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

More: Box score | Brewers schedule

Vinny Capra homered in the third inning to plate the first run for Milwaukee, which totaled seven hits and hit only four balls out of the infield prior to a nail-biter of a ninth inning that featured the Yankees debut of ex-Brewers closer Devin Williams and, ultimately, a rally that fell just short.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Joey Ortiz singled to right to open the ninth inning against Williams, and Isaac Collins followed with a double off the base of the wall in right-center. Jake Bauers came off the bench to draw a walk, and just like that the bases were loaded.

Brice Turang had with a sacrifice fly to center to score Ortiz, and Collins tagged and went to third. That brought up Jackson Chourio, who’d struck out swinging in each of his previous four plate appearances.

Bauers moved into scoring position by stealing second during Chourio’s at-bat, and Chourio made it five punchouts as he lost an eight-pitch fight.

That brought to the plate Christian Yelich, who struck out swinging on Williams’s 36th pitch of the inning.

The game got off to an inauspicious start for the Brewers, who went down in order in the first against left-hander Carlos Rodón and then saw Austin Wells open the bottom of the frame by homering just over the wall in right on Peralta’s third pitch.

The ball traveled 348 feet, and would not have been a homer in any other ballpark in the majors.

Anthony Volpe hit a two-out solo homer to nearly the same spot as Wells – this one 373 feet – in the second inning to double the deficit for Milwaukee and Peralta.

Capra, who tied Rhys Hoskins for the team lead with six homers in spring training, got the Brewers onto the board with a leadoff shot out to left in the third. It was the first of Capra’s career, and came two at-bats into his first appearance on an opening-day roster.

Capra was one of six players to make their first opening-day roster, joining outfielder Isaac Collins, right-handers

Chad Patrick and Elvin Rodríguez and left-handers

Jared Koenig and Connor Thomas.

Replay: Brewers vs Yankees recap: score, highlights from opening day 4-2 loss

Peralta’s next spot of trouble came in the fifth when he allowed a one-out single to Ben Rice and walked Wells with two outs to bring Aaron Judge to the plate.

But Peralta struck Judge out on five pitches, ultimately getting him swinging on a 96-mph fastball up in the zone, to keep it a 2-1 game.

The battle ended Peralta’s day. He scattered four hits, two runs and a walk with eight strikeouts over 93 pitches in his first-ever start and appearance against the Yankees.

Milwaukee threatened in the sixth after a couple walks chased Rodón and Joey Ortiz beat out an infield grounder to load the bases with two outs. Collins pinch-hit for Garrett Mitchell and worked left-hander Tim Hill for nine pitches before bouncing out to end the threat.

More:

Brewers broadcaster invokes Bob Uecker’s famous call on first home run of season

New York doubled its advantage in the seventh against Jared Koenig, who was bitten by a leadoff walk when, with two on, Judge’s hot shot down the third-base line caromed off the bag and into short left for a double.

One run scored, and Cody Bellinger followed with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-1.

Sal Frelick and Ortiz each had two hits for the Brewers.

More: Brewers vs Yankees starting lineups for opening day 2025

More: Here is the Milwaukee Brewers 2025 opening day roster