MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 04: Aaron Ashby #26 of the Milwaukee Brewers speaks with Alex Jackson #5 during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at American Family Field on June 04, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty …
MILWAUKEE - MacKenzie Gore pitched six stellar innings and Jake Cronenworth homered and drove in three runs in the San Diego Padres’ 4-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
A day after Joe Musgrove took a no-hit try into the eighth inning and combined with the bullpen to blank the Brewers on one hit, Gore and the San Diego relievers teamed up on another shutout.
Gore (4-1) continued the spectacular start to his rookie season by throwing a career-high 108 pitches and matching his best with 10 strikeouts. He allowed three hits and three walks while reducing his ERA to 1.50.
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Over his last four outings, Gore has allowed one run and 11 hits in 22 innings. That stretch includes three starts and one three-inning relief stint.
Gore’s outstanding performance continued the San Diego pitching staff's series-long domination of a Brewers lineup that has struggled with Willy Adames and Hunter Renfroe on the injured list.
The Brewers rallied for four runs in the ninth to beat the Padres 5-4 on Thursday, but they’ve mustered just one run in the other 26 innings of this series. They mustered just one hit against Musgrove and Craig Stammen in a 7-0 loss on Friday night.
San Diego's Nabil Crismatt, Luis García and Taylor Rogers each pitched one inning of shutout relief Saturday. Rogers, the Padres' closer, bounced back in a non-save situation after he had allowed seven runs over 1 2/3 innings in his last three appearances.
Cronenworth hit an RBI double in the third inning and had a two-run shot that capped a three-run outburst in the fifth.
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In a matchup of promising young left-handers, Gore outdueled Milwaukee’s Aaron Ashby (1-4).
Ashby, the nephew of former Padres pitcher Andy Ashby, struck out nine and walked nobody but gave up four runs in six innings. He has struck out 21 over his last two starts.
The Padres capitalized on some good fortune to take a 1-0 lead in the third inning.
Cronenworth hit a liner that bounced in shallow left field and ricocheted off the wall in foul territory. The ball then headed back toward the outfield while left fielder Andrew McCutchen was heading in the opposite direction to follow its original path.
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Sergio Alcantara scored all the way from first on Cronenworth’s two-out double.
In his next plate appearance, Cronenworth drove a 1-1 changeup over the right-field wall for his fourth homer of the season.
San Diego’s victory once again kept Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell one win from matching Phil Garner’s record for wins by a Brewers manager.
Counsell entered Saturday with a 562-500 record in eight seasons. Phil Garner went 563-617 with the Brewers from 1992-99.
Trainer's room
Padres: RHP Mike Clevinger will come off the injured list to start Sunday’s game. Clevinger began the season on the injured list, was activated May and then went back on the injured list May 22 with a strained right triceps.
Brewers: 3B Luis Urías was out of the lineup Saturday after leaving the Brewers’ 7-0 loss Friday early. Counsell said Urías has a bruised thumb and has been dealing with it for a couple of weeks. … Adames has returned from his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Nashville. He will be tested in pregame workouts the next two games in hopes of getting activated for Tuesday's series opener with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Up next
Clevinger (1-0, 3.21) starts for the Padres and LHP Eric Lauer (5-1, 2.49) pitches for the Brewers as this four-game series concludes Sunday afternoon. This will mark the last regular-season matchup between these two teams.