Facing Royals, Brewers ask rookie Chad Patrick to help snap winless streak

The winless Milwaukee Brewers will ask a lot of young right-hander Chad Patrick against the visiting Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night, but they don’t have much of a choice.

Patrick, who made his major league debut in relief against the New York Yankees over the weekend, will be opposed by right-hander Michael Lorenzen.

The Brewers were swept by the Yankees and dropped their home opener 11-1 to the Royals on Monday.

Kris Bubic, making his first start for Kansas City in almost two years after Tommy John surgery in 2023, allowed just three hits over six scoreless innings. Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals.

With Milwaukee’s rotation thinned by injuries, Elvin Rodriguez made his Brewers debut with a spot start. Rodriguez, who pitched most of the previous two seasons in Japan as a reliever, allowed four runs on six hits in four innings.

Patrick (0-0, 18.00 ERA), the International League Pitcher of the Year last season, was 14-1 with a 2.90 ERA in 26 games, including 24 starts, at Triple-A Nashville. He allowed two runs on two hits in one inning in his Brewers debut Saturday.

“We’re not at full strength, but it is what it is right now,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said following the loss on Monday. “… Chad Patrick wasn’t supposed to make our team, necessarily. He did pitch well in spring training. At times very well. He’ll get an opportunity.”

The Brewers, who did not lose four in a row all of last season, were outscored 36-14 and allowed 15 homers in the three-game series in New York. Milwaukee has lost four straight for the first time since July 28-31, 2023, and is 0-4 to start the season for the first time since 2015.

“We’re four games in,” Brewers infielder Brice Turang said. “There’s a lot of games left to play. You’ve just got to move on.”

The Milwaukee rotation received another blow when right-hander Aaron Civale, who started Sunday in New York, was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained left hamstring.

Jackson Chourio, who hit .275 with 21 homers last season as a rookie, has struck out 10 times in 19 at-bats this season.

Lorenzen split the 2024 season between Texas and Kansas City, appearing in 26 games, including 24 starts. After being acquired by the Royals in late July, he was 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in seven games, including six starts. He finished the season 7-6 with a 3.31 ERA.

Garcia is hitting .385 through four games, Jonathan India is at .375, and Perez at .313.

The Royals bounced back from a disappointing 6-2 loss at home to the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday.

“We saw that a lot last year, too,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “I think that’s one of the hallmarks of this team, is that they’re going to come out and play every day. It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday.

“If we’d won yesterday, it wouldn’t have affected their effort of their energy today. That’s the kind of leadership you have in that clubhouse, and I think that’s going to go a long way.”

–Field Level Media