Only four games into the 2025 season, the Milwaukee Brewers are, as they say, going through it.
Their pitching is in tatters. The offense has largely been a no-show.
And now, for the first time since late July 2023, they’ve lost four straight games.
Box score: Royals 11, Brewers 1
, well down the depth chart at the start of spring training but forced into action due to all the injuries, allowed four runs over his first two innings and that proved to be more than enough to sink the Brewers in what ended up being an embarrassing 11-1 drubbing at the hands of the Kansas City Royals in Monday’s lid-lifter at American Family Field.
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With home runs by Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez, Milwaukee has allowed 17 in 34 innings. And the Brewers have surrendered 20, 12 and 11 runs in their last three games.
The loss was Milwaukee’s worst in a home opener since being shut out, 10-0, by the Colorado Rockies on April 6, 2015, and the Brewers are now 0-4 for the first time since that season.
Yikes.
“We’re decimated on the mound,” manager Pat Murphy said. “I kind of made it clear to you guys now who’s going to be on the team and who’s injured, and building up. The guys don’t have that much experience are guys that have to come into the game. You get a couple rough starts from two of your main guys, you get in this position.”
“Believe me guys, If you think there isn’t energy or you think these guys aren’t trying, you think these guys aren’t going at it, trust me. They’re hurting as bad as anyone that loves the Brewers is hurting.”
A Brewers pitching staff that was put through the wringer over the weekend in New York needed 80 or so pitches out of Rodríguez, manager Pat Murphy posited before the game.
That scenario wasn’t looking so plausible as the right-hander struggled through a three-run, 26-pitch first as Rodríguez allowed singles to Kansas City’s first two hitters then with two outs allowed a ground-rule double to Michael Massey and two-run single to ex-Brewer Hunter Renfroe.
Things went from bad to worse in the second when No. 9 batter Garcia hit a solo homer to straightaway center, leaving Milwaukee in a 4-0 hole. It was the 16th allowed by the Brewers pitching staff through 26 ⅓ innings.
Facing left-hander Kris Bubic, the offense was largely a no-show.
A walk and a couple of singles loaded the bases with two outs in the second for Brice Turang, but he grounded out. Bubic was in complete command from that point on, and in six innings allowed three singles and two walks while striking out eight.
He also hit a batter.
While Rodríguez didn’t make it to 80 pitches – he checked out at 64 – he did keep the Royals from adding to their lead before handing the ball off to Bryan Hudson in the fifth. He allowed six hits and walked one with three strikeouts in his first major-league start since July 14, 2022.
Two batters after Perez curled a leadoff homer inside the foul pole in left in the seventh, the Brewers’ frustrations bubbled over in the form of associate manager Rickie Weeks being ejected by home-plate umpire Brennan Miller after arguing balls and strikes.
“He was defending me,” said catcher William Contreras. “In my opinion, I think the umpire had a terrible game back there. He was having my back there in that situation, and I loved what Rickie went out there and did.”
But things went from bad to worse from there, with Grant Anderson taking over and allowing a walk, two singles and run-scoring groundout with the deficit ballooning to 10-0 as boos rained down from what was left from the sellout crowd.
Anderson, Murphy divulged, didn’t arrive from Nashville until 3 a.m. The right-hander’s flight was delayed four hours due to storms. He ended up giving the Brewers 2 ⅔ innings of relief – an effort that was definitely needed.
“He had to suck it up for the team because we didn’t have that many arms available,” said Murphy.
Milwaukee foiled the shutout bid on doubles by Isaac Collins and Jackson Chourio in the seventh.
Murphy said that rookie Chad Patrick – who made his major-league debut Saturday – will start Tuesday’s game against the Royals.
“We’re not at full strength, but it is what it is right now,” said Murphy.”Chad Patrick wasn’t supposed to make our team, necessarily. He did pitch well in spring training, sometimes very well.
“He’s getting an opportunity.”
