The Brewers found a few ways to press Zack Wheeler on Tuesday night, and Colton Gordon gave them four spotless innings in his Milwaukee debut. But a short start from Dustin May and a messy eighth inning left Milwaukee on the wrong side of a 6-4 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Wheeler owns the opening frames
Philadelphia’s ace came out throwing strikes and missing barrels. Wheeler struck out each of Milwaukee’s first seven hitters, matching a Phillies club record, and did not allow a baserunner through the first three innings.
- Garrett Mitchell broke up the perfect start when his flare glanced off Alec Bohm’s glove at third base.
- Mitchell later came home on a sacrifice fly by William Contreras.
- Wheeler carried a two-run advantage into the sixth inning with 10 strikeouts.
Milwaukee finally began to chip at the lead in the sixth, the sort of persistent pressure manager Pat Murphy has compared to the woodpeckers around his suburban Milwaukee home. David Hamilton opened the inning with a single from the No. 9 spot, then stole second after one out. Jackson Chourio drew a walk, and Hamilton and Chourio executed a double steal while Brice Turang struck out.
May gets another short look
Dustin May was back on the mound on short rest after his difficult Friday outing in Baltimore, when he was lifted after 2 1/3 innings having allowed six hits and three runs. The Brewers wanted him to make another appearance before the regular season-ending series against the Cardinals, believing more game work could help him settle back into a better routine.
May has pointed mainly to pitch choice and sequencing as he works to pull himself out of the skid. Murphy said before the game that the club wanted to create as many opportunities as possible for May to pitch and establish a clearer plan.
“He wants to get back out there,” Murphy said, explaining that the appearance was not designed to be lengthy. “It gives him another chance to pitch and get settled on how he wants to attack hitters. He is still adjusting to a new setting, and everybody has to get aligned.”
The outing did not last long. May walked a hitter with two outs in a scoreless first inning, then issued another one-out walk in the second. Brandon Marsh followed by driving a 1-2 sinker out for a two-run homer.
May’s reaction on the mound made the frustration plain. His night ended after two innings and 36 pitches.
Gordon shines before the eighth-inning turn
Gordon, acquired from the Astros with Lance McCullers Jr. in a July trade, supplied the Brewers with the kind of relief they needed after May’s early exit. The left-hander opened his Milwaukee career with four hitless, scoreless innings.
He returned for a fifth inning of work in the eighth, when the Phillies found the opening they needed.
- Luis Arraez and Bohm kept the inning alive with two-out singles.
- Bryson Stott lined a single into center field.
- Mitchell allowed the run to score and threw toward third, where Bohm appeared likely to be retired by a wide margin.
- The throw struck Bohm’s foot and skipped away, allowing Bohm to score an additional insurance run.
- Marsh then doubled off the left-field wall to bring home Stott and complete Philadelphia’s three-run inning.
Murphy came onto the field after the play at third, with the Brewers believing Bohm may have deliberately interfered after turning to watch Mitchell’s throw. The umpires gathered to discuss the sequence, but the call stood and the runs remained on the board.
Gordon’s first four innings offered Milwaukee a real bright spot on a night when Wheeler’s early dominance and Philadelphia’s late break proved too much to overcome.
