Cincinnati’s bats finally showed up Thursday. The Reds snapped a four-game losing streak with a 7-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, and they did it against a guy who’s been borderline unhittable this season.
Jacob Misiorowski took the mound for Milwaukee, and even though the Reds scored five runs on his watch, the numbers tell a different story. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up just one earned run through five innings. He struck out 10 batters. He allowed five hits. That’s a pretty good day for most pitchers, let alone one who’s still technically in his second full season.
After the game, Reds manager Terry Francona was asked about Misiorowski. The 67-year-old didn’t hold back.
“Boy, I’ll tell you what, he’s got some special stuff,” Francona said.
Coming from a guy who’s managed Hall of Famers and seen just about everything in baseball, that lands a little heavier than your average compliment. Francona’s been around long enough to know the difference between a guy who’s hot and a guy who’s legit. He seems to think Misiorowski is the latter.
Misiorowski’s Numbers Are Getting Ridiculous
Before Thursday’s outing, Misiorowski carried a 1.45 ERA with a 0.768 WHIP and 146 strikeouts. He led all of Major League Baseball in those categories. He’s also the only pitcher in the league with a shutout this season. Those are Cy Young numbers by any standard, and he’s putting them up in April, May, and June like it’s nothing.
So yeah. The Reds will take the win. But they know they caught a break.
Sal Stewart, Jose Trevino, and TJ Friedl each homered in the win, combining for six of the seven RBIs. Noelvi Marte drove in the other run without going yard. That kind of pop has been missing for Cincinnati lately, and they’ll need more of it Friday when they open a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles.
But the story of the day wasn’t really about the Reds ending their skid. It was about how good the guy on the other side looks — even when he loses.
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