Friday night's matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Yankees was supposed to be all about Spencer Jones. The Yankees' highly-touted outfield prospect—a former first-round pick with jaw-dropping power—was making his big league debut, and the buzz was electric. But as baseball so often reminds us, the other team has stars too, and on this night, the Brewers' young ace stole the spotlight.
Jacob Misiorowski took the mound for Milwaukee, and the Yankees had absolutely no answer for his electric stuff. Topping 100 miles per hour with regularity, Misiorowski carved through the Bombers' lineup like a hot knife through butter. Over six dominant innings, he struck out a season-best 11 batters while surrendering just two hits and two walks. It was a masterclass in power pitching, and the Yankees were left swinging at shadows.
As for Jones, his debut was a quiet affair. He managed to draw a walk off Misiorowski, but that was the extent of his impact. It was an uneventful night for the rookie and an even more frustrating one for the Yankees as a whole, as the Brewers shut them out 6-0 to take the series opener.
The Brewers wasted no time giving Misiorowski a cushion. In the second inning, former Yankee Gary Sánchez led off with a single, and the wheels came off for Yankees starter Max Fried. Fried walked the next two batters to load the bases with no outs, and Milwaukee pounced. Brandon Lockridge and Sal Frelick followed with back-to-back soft singles, each driving in a run. A groundout plated another run, and yet another weak single pushed the lead further. Fried managed to escape with two strikeouts, but the damage was already done. The Brewers tacked on more in the third when Lockridge added another RBI single.
The fourth inning brought a sobering moment. Lockridge—a former Yankees prospect—slammed his knee into the concrete base of the left-field wall while chasing a foul ball. The scene was eerily reminiscent of former Yankee Dustin Fowler's devastating injury, and Lockridge had to be carted off the field.
To his credit, Fried settled down after the early turbulence and ate up some innings for the Yankees. He went six frames, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks, but the damage had already been done. On a night when the Yankees' young star couldn't shine, Milwaukee's young ace was absolutely brilliant. Sometimes, the other team's talent is just too good.