Brewers snap six-game losing skid by embracing an old identity

By any means necessary, the Milwaukee Brewers needed a win on Wednesday night. After dropping six consecutive games -- a streak that included two losses to the Boston Red Sox, a sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals, and a gut-wrenching defeat in Tuesday night's series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Brewers simply needed a tally in the win column last night.

Chad Patrick was motivated to end his team's losing skid. The 27-year-old right-hander got the ball first for the Brew Crew last night and tossed a gem in his fourth appearance of the young 2026 season, covering 6.2 innings and allowing just one earned run. What stood out last night was Patrick's efficiency; the Brewers' 2025 breakout starter needed just 81 pitches to cover those 6.2 innings, despite only 48 of his pitches landing for strikes.

Even with Patrick's strong outing, the Brewers still stared down a one-run deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning, and with six straight losses in their rearview mirror, the pressure was on for the team to string together at least one run. They eventually did so, but not in the flashiest of manners. Rather, the Brewers' eighth-inning rally last night resembled one of their pesky parades of baserunners that earned them the nickname "The Woodpeckers" in 2025.

Brewers return to "woodpecking ways" in losing-streak ending victory over Blue Jays

David Hamilton was first to hit for the Crew in the bottom of the eighth last night. Though he wasn't on the team last year, Hamilton, to some extent, is the embodiment of the "woodpecking" identity that the Brewers earned in 2025 -- he puts the ball in play, forces the defense to make a play, and often beats out infield singles with his lightning-quick speed. Hamilton did just that to start the penultimate frame last night, squibbing a 48 mph swinging bunt up the third base side that gave relief pitcher Tyler Rogers no chance of throwing him out at first.

Technically, Hamilton's infield single traveled just two feet, which is two feet more than the ball that the next batter, Sal Frelick, hit. Frelick's grounded one directly into the dirt that jumped up in the air and died on its second bounce. The trajectory of the ball fooled Blue Jays' catcher Brandon Valenzuela, and Frelick took first base, bouncing Hamilton into scoring position.

Following Frelick, William Contreras, as he so often does, steered a ball through the right side of the infield, and Hamilton came around to score. The seeing-eye-single, however, was by no means a resounding game-tying hit, but it got the job done and advanced Frelick to third base.

With the leading run just 90 feet from home, and still no outs in the innings, there were plenty of ways for the Brewers to take the lead before the frame came to a close, but the way they ended up doing so continued the woodpecking nature of the eighth-inning rally. Brice Turang bounced a softly hit hopper over the head of Rogers on the mound and forced shortstop Andrés Giménez to make a tough play just to record an out at first base. However, while Giménez was doing that, Frelick was trotting home, giving the Brewers a one-run lead with just three outs to get -- all thanks to the small ball approach that they embodied last season.

Those last three outs were no sure thing, given the way the back-end of the Brewers bullpen has performed in recent days. However, tonight, rather than turn to the struggling Trevor Megill, Pat Murphy went with Abner Uribe, who made quick work of the three batters he faced, earned his first save of the year, and sent the Brewers home with a victory.

Now, the Brewers turn their attention to bringing home a series win with a victory this afternoon. Brandon Sproat gets the ball for the Brew Crew and opposes left-handed veteran Patrick Corbin, both of whom have struggled in the early goings of the 2026 season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow