Second opener in leadoff spot latest milestone for young Chourio

NEW YORK – Every time Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio takes the field, it seems, he’s a living, breathing game of Trivial Pursuit.

Here’s the latest nugget of historical curiosity, first noted by Dom Cotroneo of Milwaukee’s broadcast team prior to the Brewers’ 4-2 loss to the Yankees on Thursday at Yankee Stadium: When the 21-year-old Chourio led off the game, he became only the second AL/NL player in the modern era – since 1901 – to bat leadoff on multiple Opening Days before his 22nd birthday.

The only other player to do that was Sebastian Daniel "Sibby" Sisti, way back in 1940 and ‘41 for the Boston Braves.

Sisti may be best known for his cameo as the Pittsburgh manager in the 1984 film “The Natural,” which was filmed in his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y. But he also has ties to Milwaukee’s Major League baseball history, first as a player for the Milwaukee Braves in 1953 and ‘54 at the end of his career, then as a coach for the 1969 Seattle Pilots before that franchise moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers in 1970.

There was more history for Chourio as the game wore on, and not the kind he would like. When he struck out in the ninth inning against former Brewers closer Devin Williams, Chourio became the first Milwaukee hitter to strike out five times on Opening Day.

“That’s a great learning experience for him,” manager Pat Murphy said. “They pitched him really tough, so credit the Yankees’ pitchers. And then, the game is going to keep humbling you. You have to keep staying after it. He’ll learn from this, and he’ll remember this as something he had to go through.

“He killed it in Spring Training, hitting balls everywhere like he wasn’t even trying. Then the intensity got turned up and the intensity changes and guys are saying, ‘I’m not going to throw Jackson a heater down the middle.’ All of a sudden, things change. He’ll respond to this at some point. He will respond.”

Chourio’s final strikeout was the most costly, because it came as the Brewers were rallying against Williams. Down 4-1 entering the ninth with the bottom four spots in the lineup coming up, Milwaukee loaded the bases with nobody out and made it a two-run game on Brice Turang’s sacrifice fly.

Chourio was up next and struck out with the tying runner in scoring position. Then Williams struck out Christian Yelich to end the game.

As they filtered back into the clubhouse, Brewers Opening Day starter Freddy Peralta shared some advice with Chourio.

“As soon as I saw him walking in,” Peralta said, “I told him, ‘Remember, this is the first game. Maybe Saturday or Sunday, you’re going to hit three or four hits. It doesn’t matter, just turn the page. We have two more games left here in New York, and that’s it.'”