Jacob Misiorowski Has 28 Strikeouts in 16 Innings and the Brewers Need Him to Stop the Bleeding Against Toronto

The Milwaukee Brewers are in trouble. They're sitting on a five-game losing streak and they're throwing their hardest thrower, Jacob Misiorowski, at the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday in a desperate bid to get back on track. The Brewers lost 8-6 at home to Washington on Sunday when their bullpen completely collapsed, surrendering six runs across the seventh and eighth innings. Now they're turning to Misiorowski, who is absolutely dealing when he's on: 28 strikeouts through 16 and one-third innings this season with opponents batting just .143 against him.

Misiorowski's Last Outing Was a Disaster, But His Season Numbers Don't Lie

Here's the thing about Misiorowski: he was an All-Star last season after just five major league starts. This year, he's been dominant when he's got his command. But last Tuesday against Boston, he fell apart. He was absolutely dialed through five innings, struck out 10 batters, gave up two hits. Then the sixth inning came and he threw 11 straight balls. Bases loaded. Every runner scored. That loss sits on his record at 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA, but the strikeout numbers tell a different story. This is his first matchup against Toronto.

Across the diamond, the Blue Jays are starting Kevin Gausman, who is 0-1 despite pitching way better than his record shows. Gausman is 2-0 with a 1.51 ERA in seven career appearances against Milwaukee, including five starts. Last time out against the Dodgers, he took the loss after giving up three runs in five and one-third innings.

Both Teams Are Limping Into This Series

The Brewers are already dealing with injuries to Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn. Now manager Pat Murphy is bracing for bad news on Christian Yelich, who left Sunday's game with left hamstring tightness. Milwaukee has scored just six runs in their four previous losses. This five-game skid is the worst since June 2023 for the three-time defending NL Central champs. It was also the first time they got swept by Washington in Milwaukee since 2006.

Toronto isn't much better. The Blue Jays wrapped up their homestand with an 8-2 loss to Minnesota on Sunday, dropping to 1-4-0 in series play. They outhit the Twins 12-8 but stranded 12 runners and went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Manager John Schneider said the team has been "out of sync" with missing key hits keeping games flowing.

The one bright spot for Toronto: their bullpen combined for 15 and one-third shutout innings across three games against Minnesota, allowing just five hits with 20 strikeouts. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting .345 over his last eight games with three doubles, a homer and three RBIs. Daulton Varsho hit .348 over the homestand with three doubles, two homers and five RBIs.

Tuesday night, the Brewers desperately need Misiorowski to keep his command and silence Toronto's bats. If he does, Milwaukee gets a chance to snap the skid. If he doesn't, this losing streak could get even uglier.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.