Forget the 102 MPH Heat: Misiorowski's Slider Silences Ohtani, Dodgers
LOS ANGELES -- Jacob Misiorowski has built a reputation on pure, ridiculous velocity. But on Saturday, the Brewers' young flamethrower proved he's so much more than a radar-gun hero.
With the bases loaded, one out, and Shohei Ohtani standing in the box, Miz didn't blink. He didn't just reach back for more heat—he reached into his bag, pulled out a slider that bent like a bad rumor, and made the game's most feared hitter look completely lost. Then he did the same to Freddie Freeman.
THE HEATER OPENS THE DOOR
Make no mistake: Misiorowski's fastball is still a cheat code. He opened the game by pumping six straight pitches over 102 mph to Ohtani, who could only manage a popup. But when the real test came in the fifth, he switched scripts.
With the bottom of the Dodgers' order stringing together three straight singles, the bases were juiced. Ohtani strode to the plate for the third time. This time, catcher William Contreras called for a curveball, then a slider, with a 102.4 mph heater sandwiched between them. Three pitches. One strikeout. No drama.
"William took control and saw something, and we readjusted," Misiorowski said.
The slider kept biting. Freeman saw five pitches and never had a chance, swinging through another wicked breaking ball to end the threat. The Dodgers never threatened again.
MORE THAN A FLAMETHROWER
Misiorowski finished with one run on five hits over six innings, improving to 12-5 with a 1.75 ERA. It was his 13th start this season allowing one or zero runs—a number that should terrify the rest of the National League.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy sees the growth in real time.
"He's understanding how his breaking stuff moves and what he can do with it on any particular day," Murphy said. "Proved to everyone out there thinking, like, 'Hey, this guy can pitch. Is he just a heater?' He executed pitches."
Yes, Ohtani did drive in the Dodgers' only run with a triple in the third, but even that was a ground ball that found a corner—an outcome Murphy will happily accept against a hitter of that caliber.
POSTSEASON REMATCH IN THE AIR
This wasn't the first time Misiorowski faced Ohtani under the bright lights of Dodger Stadium. He took the ball in Game 3 of the NLCS last October, allowed just one run in five innings, but took a 3-1 loss as the Dodgers swept the Brewers en route to a World Series title.
"That was fun. Being in the postseason, it was a different animal," Misiorowski said. "Just gave me more confidence going into this year."
If these two division leaders meet again in October, you can bet Misiorowski will be ready. He's no longer just the guy who throws 102. He's the guy who knows when to throw 89 with a nasty bite.
That's a weapon. And the Dodgers just felt it.