Rookie Patrick comes up clutch for injured Brewers rotation

MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers already have needed their pitching staff to step up as injuries have left their rotation barren. Following the news of Nestor Cortes hitting the injured list with a left elbow flexor strain Sunday, that became even more important.

So it was a good sign to see right-hander Chad Patrick, in just his second MLB start (third appearance), go out and hold down the Reds. Patrick allowed just one run across 5 1/3 innings, striking out four along the way to earn his first Major League win. The only blemish on his day was Cincinnati designated hitter Spencer Steer’s home run to lead off the top of the fifth.

Patrick otherwise limited any damage, scattering one other hit and three walks across the rest of his day. Left fielder Jackson Chourio helped give him a lot of room to work with, blasting two home runs -- tripling his season total -- in the Brewers’ 8-2 win over the Reds at American Family Field.

Sunday’s performance was a follow-up to Patrick’s first start Tuesday, when he tossed 4 2/3 scoreless in Milwaukee’s first win of the season. He did not qualify for the “W” that game, but after he got his first in the big leagues out of the way Sunday, his teammates celebrated him with what he called a “condiment party.”

“Very, very poised. You wouldn't know that he just started his Major League career,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Very poised, sensible with his stuff. There's a ton of room for improvement, but just him gaining that confidence that he belongs and that he can help us -- twice on this homestand -- it's really kind of significant.”

Patrick gave up two runs in one inning out of the bullpen on March 29 (his Major League debut). In his ensuing two outings, he’s helped Milwaukee claw its way back to .500 after it opened the year 0-4.

Patrick had a stellar season with Triple-A Nashville in 2024 -- 14-1, 2.90 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, International League Pitcher of the Year -- his first year in the organization after being acquired from the A’s via trade in November '23. He was a bit of a surprise addition to the Opening Day roster, but due to the Brewers’ pitching situation, he got the call.

In the two starts he’s made, he’s taken advantage of it.

“It's definitely a good opportunity for me,” Patrick said. “I mean, I'm just out there playing baseball at the same time, though. Game doesn't change up here versus down there. So just to be able to do the same thing as I did last year is pretty cool.”

Cortes hitting the shelf means Milwaukee is down to just one arm from its originally planned Opening Day rotation in Freddy Peralta. It’s to the point where, beyond Peralta’s scheduled start Tuesday in Colorado, the Brewers’ probable starters are listed as “TBD.”

We have seen the effects starting pitching has had on Milwaukee during these first 10 games. In the Brewers’ five losses, starters have combined for a 12.32 ERA (26 earned runs in 19 innings). In their five wins, starters have posted a 0.61 ERA (two earned runs in 29 2/3 innings).

So having to work through a stretch of games waiting for the majority of their other rotation options is concerning.

How Murphy pieces together his rotation puzzle moving forward is anyone’s guess. He has had enough experience with it throughout the first week-plus of the season, but another injury surely makes it tougher.

Milwaukee is still at least a few days from getting another starter back, as left-hander Jose Quintana could be recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Friday. Until then -- and even beyond that -- more outings like Patrick’s will be critical.

“You look 10 games in, and with what we've had to overcome pitching-wise, this is what we needed to do to stay afloat,” Murphy said. “We've got another starter down. That's uncanny, you know what I mean? We've got one starter from Spring Training still in the fold. That's hard for a small-market team to deal with that.

“It's guys like Chad Patrick, who stepped up the way he did, [left-hander Tyler] Alexander [on Friday]. That's what it's about, especially when you're playing teams that are going for it.”