Hometown Broadcasting Sports Thursday 7/30/20
30 July 2020 Sports
Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff allowed one hit and struck out 10 while working into the seventh inning as the Brewers beat the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Wednesday night. Woodruff (1-1) retired 19 of 21 batters, allowing a swinging bunt single to Phil Evans in the first. Pittsburgh didn’t manage another baserunner until Evans walked leading off the seventh. Woodruff’s stuff was so overpowering the Pirates only hit one ball to the outfield during his 6 1/3 innings, a lazy flyball to left by Gregory Polanco in the fifth. Relievers David Phelps, Devin Williams and Josh Hader finished the one-hitter. Woodruff, an All-Star last season, wasn’t aware how close the Brewers came to a combined no-hitter until Phelps told him afterward. Woodruff threw 61 of his 92 pitches for strikes against a lineup that is struggling to produce. Nine of his strikeouts came on swings and misses.
Ben Gamel gave Woodruff all the support he would need with a third-inning two-run homer over the right-field seats off Joe Musgrove (0-2). The ball clipped the top of a wall on the concourse. Otherwise, it likely would have ended up in the Allegheny River. Keston Hiura homered in the sixth for the Brewers. Hader worked a perfect ninth for his first save as Milwaukee finished its season-opening trip at 3-3. Musgrove worked 5 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on three hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. The Brewers punished his two mistakes. Christian Yelich’s sluggish start continued. The 2018 NL MVP went 0 for 5 and is now 1 for 27 (.037) in his first season since signing a $215 million contract extension.
The Brewers are off today and play their season-home opener Friday afternoon against the Cardinals. First pitch is at 1:10.
Elsewhere in the NL Central Wednesday, the Cardinals lost to the Twins 3-0 and the Reds beat the Cubs 12-7. The Cubs lead the Brewers by a game in the division while the Cardinals are 1 ½ games behind and the Reds and Pirates are two back.
Meanhile Brewers RHP Josh Lindblom felt well enough to get in a core workout on Wednesday, an encouraging sign after exiting his start on Tuesday night with what the team described as back cramps. Manager Craig Counsell expects Lindblom to make his next start as scheduled.
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The Green Bay Packers took part in COVID-19 testing for the second-straight day. The veterans will have an off day on Thursday (today) before a final day of testing on Friday. Linebacker Greg Roberts, who missed last season with an injury, was added to the COVID-19/Reserves list on Monday. This list includes players that have been in contact with someone testing positive, not just testing positive for the virus. Packers Wide Receiver Devin Funchess will opt out of the 2020 NFL season, according to multiple sources. He signed a one-year deal this offseason.
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The NBA season resumes tonight with two games. Utah is at New Orleans and the Clippers host the Lakers. The rest of the league plays tomorrow night. The Bucks are at home against the Celtics. Milwaukee, who has the best record in the league, is 53-12 while Boston is 43-21.
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The PGA Tour travels to Memphis where first round action begins today in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Tiger Woods announced last Friday that he would skip the tournament, saying he is “doing what I think is best to prepare for the PGA Championship and upcoming FedEx Cup playoffs.”
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The Dock Spiders (16-12) were firing on all cylinders on Wednesday night as they put up nine runs on 16 hits and posted a shutout in a 9-0 victory over the Booyah (13-15) for their third consecutive win. The Dock Spiders will host the La Crosse Loggers for a two-game homestand at Herr-Baker Field at Marian University starting Thursday night (tonight) at 6:35. -0-
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