Jacob Misiorowski looked untouchable on April 7, 2026, striking out 10 Red Sox batters and dominating through 5 innings at Fenway Park. Then, in a stunning sixth-inning shift, the Milwaukee Brewers phenom lost the strike zone, with 12 of his final 13 pitches missing as he walked 3 straight hitters and flipped a scoreless game. Boston capitalized for a 3-2 win, avoiding a rare 2-9 start while improving to 3-8. The collapse exposed how quickly elite velocity can unravel under fatigue, even for one of baseball’s most electric young pitchers.
When The Zone Vanished
Misiorowski’s stuff looked overpowering in the sixth, but his command vanished with 1 out. MLB reported that 55 of his first 88 pitches were strikes, a 62.5 % rate. Then 12 of his last 13 pitches missed the zone, leaving just a 7.7 % strike rate in the sequence that changed everything. He walked Jarren Duran, walked Willson Contreras, then walked Wilyer Abreu to load the bases. The line stayed dazzling and dangerous at once. What happens when a starter’s best night collides with his limits?
Murphy Let Him Keep Going
The collapse did not happen in isolation. Brewers manager Pat Murphy knew the bullpen was stretched, with Grant Anderson and Angel Zerpa unavailable, Aaron Ashby limited to emergencies, and rookie Shane Drohan lined up for April 8. That context explains why Murphy let Misiorowski keep going at 101 pitches. Murphy said, “we were trying to give [Misiorowski] every opportunity because he was pitching so well.” The gamble nearly worked. One out would have changed the inning entirely. Instead, Boston’s chance had arrived at wrong moment.
Story Delivered Boston’s Blow
DL Hall inherited bases-loaded mess, got ahead of Trevor Story 0-2, then watched inning unravel. Story ripped a 2-run double into the left-field corner, Caleb Durbin added an RBI groundout, and every run was charged to Misiorowski in a 3-2 Red Sox win. Crochet carried the rest, allowing 2 runs over 6 1/3 innings with 7 strikeouts on 107 pitches. Story said, “That’s why we call him Beast. He’s our ace,” before adding, “We needed this win tonight and we got it, thanks to Beast.”
What The Collapse Showed
This loss did not erase why Misiorowski has become one of baseball’s watched arms. He averaged 98.8 mph on his fastball and, after 3 starts, led MLB with 28 strikeouts. But April 7 showed how quickly dominance can flip when endurance fades. Misiorowski admitted, “The game plan was to pound the zone,” yet fatigue won the sixth inning. Boston moved to 3-8 and avoided a rare 2-9 hole. Milwaukee fell to 8-4 with a question before his next start: how long can the phenom hold?
Sources:
Miz K’s first 5 batters, walks last 3 in roller-coaster outing at Fenway. MLB.com, April, 08 2026
‘That’s why we call him Beast’: Crochet spins gem in much-needed Sox win. MLB.com, April, 08 2026
Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski: Strikes out 10 in loss to Boston. CBS Sports, April, 08 2026
Red Sox back in win column behind Story double and Crochet. ESPN, April, 07 2026
Jacob Misiorowski starts career with 11 straight no-hit innings. MLB.com, March, 29 2026
Jacob Misiorowski sets Brewers record for Opening Day strikeouts. MLB.com, April, 01 2026
Here’s what makes The Miz unlike any pitcher we’ve ever seen. MLB.com, July, 10 2025
The Red Sox are MLB’s most unexpected story of 2026. Sports Illustrated, April, 06 2026
