The overshadowed storyline from the Brewers’ 2026 Opening Day victory

There was so much to like during the Milwaukee Brewers' 14-2 knockout of the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day.

Jacob Misiorowski looked every bit of a staff ace, setting a franchise record with 11 strikeouts on Opening Day. Likewise, the entire offense came to play, with Jake Bauers and David Hamilton continuing their torrid springs into the first game of the regular season.

However, lost amidst the shuffle of a blowout that was all but over by the top of the sixth inning was that the Brewers' bullpen also manhandled the White Sox's hapless lineup. Save for some walk-induced traffic on the basepaths during DL Hall's inning and a ninth-inning home run by Munetaka Murakami, the relief corps was lights out in their four innings.

Brewers bullpen looks like serious weapon following Opening Day shutdown of White Sox

Postseason workhorse Aaron Ashby hit leadoff for the bullpen, entering an 8-1 game and firing a perfect inning while striking out two batters. There were questions if he'd move into the rotation amidst all the injuries, but he's found a home as a reliever and the Brewers don't seem likely to mess with his success.

Grant Anderson followed in the seventh (with the Brewers now up 11-1) and matched Ashby's flawless frame, retiring the side on just seven pitches. He certainly benefited from an insurmountable lead, but he'll be expected to take on some leverage innings down the road if he keeps pitching like that.

DL Hall's inning was certainly the most nerve-wracking (insofar as you can be nervous during a 14-1 game), as his control issues reared their ugly head yet again. He walked two and gave up a hit to load the bases in the eighth, but he also struck out the side on some truly nasty breaking pitches. His spot is the most tenuous as the fourth lefty out of the 'pen, but if he can get his raw stuff to find the zone more often, he'll be a menace late in games.

Finally, last-minute trade acquisition Jake Woodford closed out the game in the ninth, flashing both the best and worst parts of his game. His penchant for giving up hard contact led to a home run from rookie Munetaka Murakami, but his deep arsenal also led to three punchouts, including two on his re-shaped cutter.

The lead the offense built up surely helped matters, but it's also worth noting that, save for Ashby, the Brewers didn't use any of their high-leverage relievers during the win. Once Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill start strolling out to the mound, the bullpen should really start firing on all cylinders. This is a deep group with really talented arms, giving Pat Murphy plenty of options to close out games this year.