Strzelecki's run of scoreless outings ends against O's?

MILWAUKEE -- The anecdote you almost always hear about right-handed reliever Peter Strzelecki is that he didn’t throw a single pitch during Spring Training in 2022 -- only to emerge as one of the Brewers' most reliable bullpen arms when it mattered most down the stretch.

This season has brought a new challenge: No more anonymity. Every time Strzelecki wobbles, as he did on Thursday afternoon in the eighth inning of a 6-3 loss to the Orioles at American Family Field, a game is apt to get away.

Strzelecki absorbed the loss after allowing three O’s runs in a rally capped by Gunnar Henderson’s go-ahead two-run home run on a high-and-outside pitch, right where Strzelecki wanted it.

A 3-1 Brewers lead going into the eighth became a 4-3 deficit, and Strzelecki’s streak of five consecutive scoreless appearances, including four straight hitless outings, came to an end.

“Quintin Berry said it best,” said Strzelecki, referring to the Brewers’ first-base coach. “He's like, ‘I hope you have many more outings like that.’ Just because that means you're in those situations and you're doing it for a long time.

“When he said it at first, you're like, 'Wait, what?' But then you think about it and it makes sense. Like, guys have done this for a long time. They've had a lot of outings like this, it just stinks when it all happens in a short time period. But you know, you’ve got to just stay strong mentally and keep pushing. And our whole bullpen is doing that. We've been having a good year.”

That’s life for a setup man or a closer, with little margin for error in those roles.

What’s different for Strzelecki is that last year on this date, he had all of one appearance on his Major League record.

An undrafted player who signed with the Brewers in 2018, Strzelecki was a graduate of the University of South Florida with degrees in criminal justice and communications who didn’t dazzle scouts. But he moved steadily through Milwaukee’s farm system because he was good at getting outs.

When he was called up last June, only the most ardent Brewers fans had heard his name. Manager Craig Counsell, in telling reporters about the roster move, said “Peter” was coming up.

For the record, the last name is pronounced STREZ-leck-y.

Strzelecki gradually proved himself. Over four stints in the big leagues, he had a 2.83 ERA and one save in 30 relief appearances. As the Brewers chased the Phillies for the National League’s final postseason berth, Strzelecki’s final nine appearances were scoreless, with an .087 average against and all four inherited runners stranded.

? Strzelecki striving to honor late father's wishes

It earned Strzelecki a lock on a bullpen spot going into 2023. When Matt Bush struggled early and then landed on the IL with a right shoulder injury, Strzelecki found himself serving as closer and Devin Williams as primary setup man.

Strzelecki has absorbed five losses so far this season and he has a 4.40 ERA, but he also is one off the Major League lead with 14 holds. He was aiming for No. 15 when he took the mound Thursday, but he quickly found trouble.

An infield hit and an error charged to third baseman Luis Urías preceded Anthony Santander’s RBI double. Strzelecki got to within one out of escaping with the lead when he threw a first-pitch four-seam fastball to the outer edge of the strike zone. Henderson punched it over the left-field wall.

“It’s magnified in this situation and in this role,” Strzelecki said. “It’s a crappy feeling because you don’t want to let your team down, but you have to stay positive and keep pushing.

“It was a good series overall for our team. It stinks the way it ended. I feel horrible about it. I’ll try to sleep tonight and come back and get ready for the next series [against Oakland starting on Friday].”

The Brewers’ finale with the O’s began with promise, as five of the first six Milwaukee hitters walked or singled to build a 3-0 lead against Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish. But the Brewers did little after that, limited to four more hits the rest of the way and no runs.

Milwaukee, for the second straight series, settled for a series victory instead of a sweep despite its big first inning and five scoreless frames from starter Colin Rea, whose eight strikeouts were one shy of a season high.

“It’s not that you take your foot off the gas. You don’t want to do that,” said rookie Joey Wiemer, who stretched his hitting streak to a career-best nine games. “Bradish was throwing it really well today. He was rolling and we couldn’t put up anything more on him.”