W: Jeremy Jeffress (1-0) - first major league victory
L: Andrew Miller (1-4)
MVP: Mark Rogers (+.185)
LVP: Jonathan Lucroy (-.081)
Win Expectancy Graph
SB Nation Coverage
Quick! What esoteric Brewers honor does Matt Kinney no longer hold? If you guessed "last starting pitcher born in Maine," you are correct. Selected fifth overall in the 2004 draft, it was a bumpy and injury-riddled road for Rogers, but six years and three months after signing his first pro contract, he toed the rubber tonight for the first time as a major league starter. As you may have expected, he had some first inning jitters, hitting one batter and walking two others, but he worked through them to strike out the side. Limited to about 60 pitches, he lasted only three innings. In those three innings he struck out four batters and did not allow a hit. He has now faced 18 batters over five innings and still has an opponent batting average of .000. He also picked up his first major league hit, an infield single to second base.
Fellow rookie and first-round pick Jeremy Jeffress followed Rogers to the mound and allowed one hit in two innings of work. He struck out two and walked two en route to his first major league victory. Mike McClendon continued the rookie parade, tossing 1 2/3 innings and allowing the Marlins' first run of the game. Zach Braddock came in to record the final out of the seventh inning, making him the fourth rookie to take the mound for the Crew. After that, the pitching staff took a sharp turn for the present when Kameron Loe (who else?) came out to pitch the eighth. He continued his excellent season, turning in a scoreless frame. Trevor Hoffman finished the game, making his first appearance since recording his 600th career save on September 7. He allowed one run on one hit in what may well have been his final appearance in Miller Park.
The rookie pitchers were the story of the game, but the offense showed up as well. Casey McGehee went 3-for-4, Rickie Weeks chipped in two hits, and Ryan Braun went two for four with three RBI. As mentioned, Mark Rogers picked up his first major league hit but he wasn't the only one to do so: Mike McClendon singled to left field in the sixth inning. The single was only his second hit as a professional. Finally, last but not least, Joe Inglett hit a pinch-hit triple in the bottom of the eighth inning. That was his fourth pinch-hit triple of the season, quite possibly a major league record.