Chad Patrick validates velocity theory in Brewers’ first regular season win

Rookie right-hander Chad Patrick may not have delivered a flawless debut, but on a night when the Milwaukee Brewers desperately needed a spark, he gave them exactly that.

Originally slated to begin the season with Triple-A Nashville, Patrick’s place on the Opening Day roster came less from a spring surge than from a plethora of injuries taking out key arms in the Brewers’ starting rotation.

To make matters worse, Patrick was under the weather leading up to his first big league start. So ill that he didn’t even suit up for Milwaukee’s home opener, choosing to watch from home instead. But when his number was called Tuesday night, he answered — and made sure the Brewers finally added to the win column.

The Brewers entered the game at 0-4, having allowed a brutal 47 runs through their first four contests — including three straight games giving up double digits. And yet, Patrick strode to the mound and silenced the Kansas City Royals with 4.2 innings of scoreless work, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out five. His effort helped secure Milwaukee’s first win of the season in a 5-0 shutout.

For a team battered on the scoreboard and reeling from injuries, it was a reminder that velocity still matters. And when deployed effectively, it can flip the script.

Chad Patrick's velocity-fueled debut could shift the Brewers’ pitching strategy

Until Patrick’s outing, the only game in which Milwaukee had held an opponent to fewer than 11 runs came on Opening Day in New York, when ace Freddy Peralta allowed just two solo homers over five innings, striking out eight. In that start, Peralta’s fastball averaged 95.1 mph, and even his changeup clocked in at 90. While the Brewers lost that game 4-2, it offered a blueprint — one that Patrick quietly followed five days later.

The issue? The Brewers didn’t have much firepower beyond Peralta. With so many arms on the shelf, Milwaukee’s staff was missing velocity — and it showed. Over a miserable three-game stretch, the Brewers were torched for 42 runs. CBS Sports' Mike Axisa pointed out the ugly truth: Milwaukee had thrown the highest percentage of sub-90 mph fastballs in the league outside of the Chicago White Sox. That’s company no club wants to keep.

Sub-90 MPH Fastball Rate, First Four Games:

• Milwaukee Brewers: 160 pitches (23.0%)
• Chicago White Sox: 146 (25.9%)
• Oakland Athletics: 133 (16.6%)
• Baltimore Orioles: 81 (10.8%)

Enter Chad Patrick. In his 86-pitch outing, he leaned on the four-seam fastball, throwing it 32 times with an average velocity of 93.5 mph and topping out at 95.1. Not a single one dipped below 90.

Manager Pat Murphy doubled down on the strategy, turning the ball over to hard-throwing relievers Jared Koenig and Abner Uribe. The result? Two more scoreless innings, and just four hits allowed all game, and a reminder that Milwaukee still has weapons if they commit to a power-first approach on the mound.

For a team on the brink of spiraling early, Patrick’s performance wasn’t just timely — it was essential. It gave the Brewers something to believe in. If this team hopes to stay afloat while its rotation recovers, Tuesday night might’ve just delivered the formula: pound the zone with high velocity, keep opponents off balance, and let the bullpen carry the baton.

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