The Milwaukee Brewers have been a force to reckon with in the regular season, clinching four of the last five NL Central titles. So, it's no surprise they approach Spring Training with a bit of a relaxed attitude.
However, things got interesting in their exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. The Giants' pitching staff, featuring Robbie Ray, Carson Seymour, Tristan Beck, and Matt Gage, combined to deliver eight perfect innings.
The drama peaked in the ninth when Gregory Santos took the mound, aiming to seal a combined perfect game. But after two outs, a walk to Cooper Pratt and a double by Blake Burke ended the Giants' historic bid.
Despite the near-miss, the Giants secured a 7-1 victory. Brewers' bench coach Pat Murphy took it all in stride, humorously remarking, “They say it’s a bad thing to peak too soon.”
The Giants have been dominating this spring with a league-best 16-6 record. It might be worth reminding their manager, Tony Vitello, that these wins in March are more about preparation than results.
For the Brewers, a sluggish Spring Training isn't a cause for concern. Historically, they've used this period to experiment and evaluate talent, which has paid off once the regular season kicks in. Last year, they had a modest 16-14 spring record but surged to a franchise-best 97 wins.
This trend isn't new for Milwaukee. In 2024, they went 16-15 in Spring Training and captured the division with a 93-69 record. The year before, they were 12-15 in exhibition games, only to finish with a 92-70 season and another division title.
Spring Training is a time for teams to test prospects and give fringe players a shot, making the results less significant. For the Brewers, it's all part of the process that prepares them for success when the games truly matter.