On September 12th, baseball fans witnessed an impressive performance as Brandon Woodruff, a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, tossed a six-hit shutout against the Miami Marlins. This remarkable outing marked Woodruff’s first career shutout and signaled his triumphant return to the field after spending four months on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation before being activated on August 6th.
Woodruff’s dominance on the mound was a sight to behold, as he struck out seven Marlins batters and issued only one walk. His only other complete game had been a seven-inning effort back in 2020, resulting in a 4-2 loss against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Milwaukee Brewers, with a record of 80-63 at the time, were in a tight race atop the National League Central, holding a three-game lead over the Chicago Cubs (77-67). The Cubs were scheduled to play against the Colorado Rockies later in the evening.
Willy Adames played a significant role in the Brewers’ 12-0 victory, driving in an impressive four runs during the game. His bases-loaded triple in the sixth inning ignited a five-run surge that gave Milwaukee a commanding 11-0 lead. Adames also contributed with two doubles, helping the Brewers amass a total of 17 hits.
On the other side of the mound, the Marlins’ starting pitcher, Jesus Luzardo (9-9), had been in solid form in his previous three starts, allowing just two runs over 18 innings. However, he struggled against the Brewers, surrendering six runs on 10 hits in five innings. Luzardo also issued four walks and struck out five batters.
The Brewers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, with Mark Canha leading off the game with his 10th homer of the season, a 374-foot blast to left field. Milwaukee continued to build their lead with three runs in the third inning, extending it to 4-0. The Marlins’ hopes were further dashed as Adames and newly-acquired veteran Josh Donaldson, in his Brewers debut, drove in runs with key hits.
Tyrone Taylor added an RBI single in the third inning, but the Brewers left the bases loaded, signaling that they were far from done. In the fifth inning, they added two more runs on doubles by Adames and Taylor, along with Sal Frelick’s RBI single.
The game’s pivotal moment came in the sixth inning when Adames delivered a three-run triple, extending the Brewers’ lead to an insurmountable 11-0. Andruw Monasterio contributed with an RBI single, and another run crossed the plate due to an error.
In the eighth inning, Joey Wiemer added an RBI double to cap off the Brewers’ impressive offensive display.
Despite the lopsided score, the Marlins made an early attempt to threaten in the top of the first inning with consecutive two-out singles. However, Woodruff showcased his composure by striking out Bryan De La Cruz, extinguishing the Marlins’ hopes. It’s worth noting that the Marlins had been alternating wins and losses over their previous six games.
This dominating victory by the Milwaukee Brewers served as a statement of their playoff ambitions and their determination to maintain their lead in the National League Central division. With Brandon Woodruff’s outstanding performance on the mound and Willy Adames’ offensive prowess, the Brewers left their fans eagerly anticipating the rest of the season.