'The Joe Ross of old': Pat Murphy loved what he got out of his starting pitcher Tuesday

CINCINNATI – Joe Ross's 100th career major-league appearance was one to remember for the right-hander.

Taking the mound for just the second time since his two-plus-year absence caused by his second Tommy John surgery, Ross turned in maybe the best overall performance of the season by a Milwaukee Brewers pitcher.

He handcuffed a potent Cincinnati Reds lineup by scattering five hits, three runs (two earned) and a walk with seven strikeouts over 6 ⅓ innings and 87 pitches in leading the way to a 9-5 victory at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday night.

"That's the story of the game," manager Pat Murphy said. "That guy was the Joe Ross of old."

Ross became the first Milwaukee pitcher to pitch into the seventh this season and might have lasted longer than he did were it not for a fielding miscue behind him, with shortstop Willy Adames bouncing a throw to Jake Bauers at first base with Elly De La Cruz hustling down the line.

BOX SCORE: Brewers 9, Reds 5

He surrendered a single after that and ended his night with a flyout, departing with a 9-1 lead before Elvis Peguero entered and allowed both runners to score.

Things got a little dicey at the end as Cincinnati scored twice more against Peguero in the eighth, but Bryan Hudson and Abner Uribe got the game to the finish line.

And, as it turned out, it was Ross's first victory since June 29, 2021.

"It feels good, obviously," he said. "Exciting. Another marker. Not the finish line. But I had to win a game at some point, and it's nice to get it out of the way early.

"Feel like I helped the bullpen out; they were kind of short on innings a little bit so it was important to kind of go deep in the game and give us a chance."

Ross generated 10 swings and misses – four more than counterpart Frankie Montas, who was off to a great start for the Reds – and got five of his seven strikeouts with his slider.

"I feel like that's one of my go-to pitches with two strikes," Ross said. "I feel like I executed some good ones strike-to-ball, out of the zone, and got some swings in some big situations."

Murphy, as he often does, also heaped praise upon catcher William Contreras.

"Give William a ton of credit," he said. "Because he dissected what Joe was tonight and just went with it. That's a catcher."

The game swung on two batters in the fourth

A leadoff single by Christian Encarnacion-Strand, single by Jake Fraley and double by De La Cruz brought the Reds to within 3-1 and energized the crowd a bit.

Spencer Steer – a dangerous hitter in the seven hole – came to the plate next and worked Ross to a full count before fouling his sixth offering off and then swinging and missing at a slider just outside the zone.

Up next was left-handed-hitting Nick Martini, of whom Ross disposed quickly with a four-pitch strikeout.

Potential momentum swing averted.

"Just keep executing pitches," Ross said of his mind set. "They had a couple singles and a double so I felt like I was executing well; the ball was just finding holes. Then it's runners in scoring position with less than two outs, so soft contact, popup or strikeout and I feel like strikeout is the preferred method if you can get it.

"So I feel like I kind of helped myself out. It was good that I could keep myself under control in a situation like that, where it was getting a little loud and with some runners in scoring position."

Added manager Pat Murphy: "He turned it up a notch. He maintained his velo pitching into the seventh."

In his first outing last week against the Minnesota Twins, Ross needed 73 pitches to navigate 3 ⅔ innings. He allowed only two hits but walked five and didn't earn a decision in a Brewers loss.

This time, it was a much different story.

"I just feel like overall I was a little more loose, a little better arm path, I would say," Ross said. "I think that helped me keep my velo up throughout the game and feel just a little more free on the mound. Executed some pitches, the slider was there.

"So, I helped myself."

The one free pass was a huge plus. So, too, were the 1-2-3 innings Ross tossed in the fifth and sixth; he needed a total of just 16 pitches to accomplish that and retired eight straight batters in all after the De La Cruz double in the fourth.

"He was bobbing and weaving early and then got on a roll against a really good offensive club," Murphy said. "That's a good team."

Prior to Tuesday, only Freddy Peralta and Colin Rea had completed six innings for the Brewers. To add Ross to that mix is huge as the team continues to hunt for innings in both its rotation and bullpen while battling through injuries.

"That's the goal," Ross said of his 87 pitches. "That's definitely the most "ups" in a while; I think I had five in spring training. But it helps when you have a couple short innings, seven to 10 pitches, early contact. Minimizing the walks was the biggest step from last game to this game."

"Choke and poke"

Murphy began his postgame remarks by repeating the phrase "choke and poke," referring to the Brewers' approach at the plate.

Maybe the best example of that on the night came from No. 9 hitter Blake Perkins, who singled in each of his first three at-bats and drove in three runs.

Perkins singled in Sal Frelick and Brice Turang to plate the first two runs of the game in the third, bunted for a single and scored in the fifth and then singled and drove in Frelick in the sixth.

The three hits were a career high for Perkins, whose start was his third of the season.

"You want to get all these guys in there," Murphy said, referencing Milwaukee's wealth of outfielders. "He deserved a chance and Jackson (Chourio) needed maybe a blow, I thought, for a day. Perk just keeps doing it. Keeps getting hits, stays within himself, plays great defense.

"I'm just happy for the kid because he just loves it so much."

Perkins has a ton of value for the Brewers in that he's one of the faster players on the team, is a switch-hitter who is a good bunter and a solid defender capable of playing all three outfield spots adeptly.

He also has some sneaky pop in his bat.

Chalk Perkins up as a scouting victory for the Brewers' front office, which signed him to a major-league deal following the 2022 season despite the fact he'd kicked around the minors for the entirety of his career to that point.

"I'll take it," Perkins said of his big night. "Just blessed to have the opportunity, really. That's all I can say. Glad I got the opportunity to contribute."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Making his 100th career MLB appearance, Joe Ross delivered big-time