Brewers 2, Braves 1: Misiorowski Outduels Sale

Six shutout innings against the arm he grew up watching

August 21, 2026 - Milwaukee - Jacob Misiorowski has said Chris Sale was one of the pitchers he admired most as a kid. On Friday he outdueled him.

Misiorowski (13-5) threw six shutout innings, four hits, two walks, six strikeouts. He threw 96 pitches and hit at least 100 mph on 32 of them, topping out at 103.1, while mixing in more sliders than usual. His ERA dropped to 1.68. His strikeout total climbed to 216. He leads the majors in both.

The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Atlanta Braves 2-1. Two first-place clubs. One thin margin. Enough.

Two runs in the third, then hold on

Luis Lara and Jackson Chourio opened the third with singles. William Contreras punched a single up the middle to score Lara. Andrew Vaughn hit into a fielder's choice that scored Chourio. 2-0.

That was the entire Milwaukee offense against Sale (12-9). The 2024 Cy Young winner worked six innings, eight hits, two earned runs, six strikeouts, zero walks. He has allowed three runs or fewer in an MLB-leading 20 consecutive starts. He still left with the loss because Misiorowski would not give the Braves a clean look at the scoreboard.

Contreras went 4-for-4. Lara went 2-for-3 and robbed Matt Olson with a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the sixth. Those are the details that keep a 2-0 lead from becoming a bullpen fire drill.

Misiorowski did not need 12 strikeouts. He needed six clean innings against a first-place Atlanta lineup and enough soft contact to hand a two-run lead to a bullpen that has been living on the edge all summer. Sale did almost everything right for six. Milwaukee's third inning was the difference: two singles, one through the middle, one fielder's choice. That is a 2-1 win written in small print.

Eighth and ninth got loud. Megill got Acuña.

Michael Harris II singled Ronald Acuña Jr. home with two outs in the eighth. 2-1. Antonio Senzatela walked Ozzie Albies to load the bases, then got Mauricio Dubón on a fly to right. Atlanta left the bases loaded.

In the ninth, Mike Yastrzemski singled with two outs. Lane Thomas pinch-ran and stole second. Trevor Megill struck out Acuña for his 24th save in 26 chances. The potential tying run stayed at second. Milwaukee stayed in first without needing a crooked number.

AthX Engine put Misiorowski near the top of the pitcher board

AthX Engine scored Misiorowski at 22 pitching fantasy points, tied with Randy Vásquez for second on Friday behind MacKenzie Gore. Sale scored 12. A 2-1 win does not fill a team board the way a rout does. It still fills a pitcher board when the ace throws six zeroes. Fantasy points measure the box. Price is a different market.

What's next

Logan Henderson starts Saturday for Milwaukee. Martín Pérez goes for Atlanta. Nights like this are why AthX Engine keeps Misiorowski's page open even when the Brewers only score twice.

Marketplace

*Sources: ESPN recap, ESPN box score, MLB schedule, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*