Misiorowski’s record-velocity night turns tense after he hits Rockies’ Tyler Freeman in helmet

MILWAUKEE’S Jacob Misiorowski was delivering the kind of power-armed performance that usually belongs on a highlight package, then the Brewers’ 7-1 win over the Colorado Rockies was interrupted by a scare in the sixth inning. With one runner on and Tyler Freeman at the plate, Misiorowski threw a 98 mph cutter that hit Freeman in the helmet. Freeman left the game but walked to the dugout under his own power, according to an Associated Press account of the game. The incident did not derail Milwaukee’s rhythm, but it injected a seriousness that reminded everyone how quickly velocity can become danger.

That same game, Misiorowski put a number on how fast he was throwing. The AP recap said the right-hander tossed a record-setting 103.7 mph pitch, the fastest by a major league starter since tracking began in 2008. He struck out eight in seven innings while allowing only four hits and an unearned run, lowering his ERA to 1.50. CBS Sports’ game story also described him working through trouble in the sixth, when the Rockies loaded the bases and Misiorowski escaped without allowing a run. In a contest where Milwaukee’s offense could afford a brief pause, the pitcher’s composure carried the most weight.

Freeman’s near-instant exit also framed a separate question that lingered for the Rockies: how long could they afford to lose a key contributor when the game already was slipping away. At the time of the incident, the Brewers were in control, aided by their home run output. Brice Turang hit two solo homers, and David Hamilton, William Contreras, and Jake Bauers also went deep as Milwaukee totaled five homers in the win. Even as the ballpark atmosphere shifted after Freeman was struck, Milwaukee still scored at the same locations and with the same aggressiveness that had built its early lead.

Misiorowski’s night was not just about one pitch or one inning. MLB’s pitch-tracking presentation for the game noted that he threw 52 pitches at 100 mph or more, which was described as the second-most in the pitch-tracking era, and that he recorded a high of 45 pitches at 101 mph or more. The barrels and the strikeouts were tied together by that same theme, relentless heat paired with enough movement to miss bats even in a lineup that has advantages at Coors Field. The velocity also came with consequences of a different sort, as CBS Sports’ recap said a ball hit off Misiorowski’s calf in the second inning and he stayed in after being checked.

The Brewers’ ability to keep stacking innings matters for more than one box score. Milwaukee entered the day with the kind of record that turns regular-season series into opportunities, and the win tightened the pressure on Colorado in the long arc of June. For the Rockies, the Freeman episode likely became a storyline they would need to manage alongside pitching depth and lineup continuity, because a player’s helmet hit often creates uncertainty about availability even when no specific injury is publicly detailed. The immediate baseball task is simpler: continue completing at-bats and innings despite distractions. The human task takes longer: confirmation of Freeman’s status after the hit.

Looking ahead, the calendar offered another chance to see whether the game’s tense moment carried into the next matchup. On Sunday, June 7, the Brewers played the Rockies again at Coors Field, with Shane Drohan scheduled for Milwaukee against Kyle Freeland for Colorado, according to MLB’s probable pitchers page. Milwaukee will be watching to see if Freeman can get back into the lineup. Colorado will be watching the same thing, but also for whether the Brewers can reproduce the same combination of velocity and control once the adrenaline from Saturday’s incident settles into routine.