Chad Patrick has a tough act to follow when he takes the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
Patrick, 3-8 with a 3.53 ERA last season, will be opposed by right-hander Sean Burke, 4-11 with a 4.22 ERA in 28 games, including 22 starts.
Both teams were idle Friday after the Brewers pounded out a 14-2 Opening Day victory Thursday behind a dominant performance by starter Jacob Misiorowski.
Misiorowski, named to the All-Star team last season after just five major league starts, gave up a game-opening homer, but allowed only one hit over the rest of his five-inning, 94-pitch outing. His 11 strikeouts were an Opening Day franchise record, three more than the prior Brewers record.
Sal Frelick and Jake Bauers homered as the Brewers collected 12 hits and drew 10 walks. Milwaukee pitchers also combined for a franchise-record 20 strikeouts, tying a major league record for a nine-inning game.
“It’s only one game, but I think there was enough relentlessness and pressure,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said afterward.
Chicago starter Shane Smith lasted just 1 2/3 innings. One of the bright spots for the White Sox was Munetaka Murakami, who had a solo homer in the ninth inning in his major league debut after eight seasons in his native Japan. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter had 246 homers over eight seasons in Japan, including 56 in 2022.
White Sox manager Will Venable said his team obviously did not play well in the opener, but expects them to bounce back.
“These guys, all of last year with tough games, came back and played with an edge, and played competitively and kind of brushed off the day before if it was a bad one,” Venable said. “These guys will do it, I’m pretty sure.”
Patrick pitched better as a rookie last season than his record indicated, striking out 127 in 119 2/3 innings with 40 walks over 27 games (23 starts). Opponents batted .248 against him.
The right-hander was solid out of the bullpen in the postseason, allowing just two runs in nine innings over six appearances, striking out 11 and walking one.
Patrick was 1-1 with an 11.68 ERA in four spring training starts, allowing 16 runs in 12 1/3 innings and giving up five homers.
Burke notched his final victory last season in his final June start, then went 0-4 in 12 games (eight starts) the rest of the way.
He struck out 133 in 134 1/3 innings, giving up 23 homers. Opponents batted .251 against him.
Burke was 0-3 with a 4.58 ERA in five spring training games. In his final outing, he allowed two runs on three hits in five innings, striking out six vs. Seattle.
Despite the lopsided Milwaukee win in the opener, Murphy said the White Sox are improved from the team that lost a modern major league-record 121 games in 2024 and 102 games last season.
“People are going to say, ‘Oh, it’s the White Sox,'” Murphy said. “I’m going to tell you something. They’ve got a lot over there. They didn’t show it (Thursday), but they’ve got a lot over there … They’re going to be a better team than they were in the past.”
–Field Level Media
