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Brewers Bullpen Meltdown Hands Giants Series Victory
Brewers Get Crushed by Giants in 16-3 Blowout Loss
The Short Version
The Milwaukee Brewers had a really, really bad day at the ballpark. They lost 16-3 to the San Francisco Giants — their worst loss of the season and their first series loss since before the All-Star break. Almost nothing went right for Milwaukee, from the starting pitcher to the bullpen to the offense.
What Happened: A Game Recap
1. The Starting Pitcher Struggled
- Thomas Pannone made his first MLB start since 2019
- Manager Pat Murphy hoped he’d give the tired pitching staff a breather
- Instead: Pannone lasted only 3 innings, threw 56 pitches
- Allowed 2 earned runs, 2 walks, 3 hits
- Big moment: Gave up Daniel Susac’s first career home run
- Main problem: Kept falling behind batters early in the count
2. Brewers Tried to Fight Back (Briefly)
- Bottom of the 3rd: Down 3-0, Milwaukee got two singles (David Hamilton, Cooper Pratt)
- Brice Turang hit an RBI groundout → 3-1
- Jackson Chourio grounded into a double play → inning over
- Bottom of the 4th: Jake Bauers tripled (playing on a broken toe!)
- Christian Yelich walked
- Garrett Mitchell RBI groundout → 3-2
- That was as close as it got
3. The Bullpen Completely Fell Apart
| Pitcher | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Chad Patrick | 2 scoreless innings, then gave up 2 runs in the 6th |
| Aaron Ashby | Recorded 1 out, allowed 4 runs (3 hits, 1 walk) — worst outing of the day |
| Bryse Wilson | Worst game since rejoining Brewers: 3 runs, 6 hits |
| Andrew Vaughn | Position player pitching! Gave up Susac’s second HR |
IMPORTANT POINT
By the end of the 7th inning, the Brewers were down by 10 runs. The game was so out of hand they used a position player (Andrew Vaughn) to pitch the final innings — something teams only do when they’ve given up.
4. Giants’ Offense Went Off
- 17 total hits for San Francisco
- Luis Arraez & Heliot Ramos: 4 hits each
- Daniel Susac: Career day!
- 1st career HR (off Pannone)
- 2nd career HR (off Vaughn)
- 4 RBIs total
Big Picture: What This Means
Road Woes Against California Teams
- Brewers are now 2-4 vs. California teams on the road this season
- Tough schedule continues:
- Off day tomorrow
- Then: 3 games vs. Los Angeles Angels
- After homestand: LA Dodgers & San Diego Padres (both in California)
Upcoming Starters vs. Angels
- Game 1: Shane Drohan
- Game 2: Robert Gasser
- Game 3: Jacob Misiorowski
Trade Deadline Wake-Up Call?
The article suggests this blowout might force the front office to make moves before the trade deadline — especially for pitching help.
Summary
- Final Score: Giants 16, Brewers 3
- Worst loss of the year | First series loss since All-Star break
- Starter Pannone couldn’t go deep | Bullpen collapsed (4 relievers, 9+ runs)
- Giants’ Susac had a dream debut: 2 HRs, 4 RBIs
- Brewers now 2-4 vs. CA teams on road | Tough west coast stretch ahead
- Trade deadline pressure mounting
FAQ
Why did the Brewers use a position player to pitch?
When a team is losing by a huge margin late in the game, they don’t want to waste real pitchers’ arms. Andrew Vaughn (normally a hitter) came in just to eat innings and finish the game.
What does "falling behind in counts" mean?
Pitchers want to get ahead (like 0-1 or 1-2). "Behind" means 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 — the batter has the advantage and can wait for a good pitch to hit. Pannone did this too often.
Who is Daniel Susac?
A young Giants catcher/prospect. This was his first big league game with multiple home runs — a career day he’ll never forget.
What’s the trade deadline?
Around July 31st each year. It’s the last chance for teams to trade for players to help them make the playoffs. The Brewers might need to add pitching.
How bad is 2-4 vs. California teams on the road?
Not great. California has 5 MLB teams (Giants, Dodgers, Padres, Angels, Athletics). Playing well there matters for playoff positioning. The Brewers have struggled in those ballparks this year.
Go Brewers — bounce back against the Angels!
