How Did Cubs Manage To Get The Best Of Jacob Misiorowski?

After taking a massive 17-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs in their series opener, the Milwaukee Brewers have answered well, earning back-to-back wins.

Milwaukee took home the victory in the second game of its four-game series with Chicago, 9-4, then followed it up with a 9-5 win on Wednesday. Surprisingly, the Brewers' recent win did not go as smoothly as expected, despite having Jacob Misiorowski on the mound; the 24-year-old hurler allowed five earned runs, the most he's allowed in a single game all season.

Misiorowski has rarely struggled this season

Sep 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Misiorowski was on an insane streak of 25 starts without allowing more than three earned runs to start a season, tied for the third-longest streak since 1913, but fell apart early against the Cubs. The right-handed flamethrower has been one of the most impressive pitchers in baseball, leading the race for the National League Cy Young Award, but the Cubs' manager Craig Counsell prepared his team well.

“You’re going to get a lot of fastballs,” Counsell said pregame on Wednesday, per MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. “It’s just the fastball at the top of the zone, nobody has hit it. He has the ability to throw a pitch in the strike zone that is just really challenging to hit. And there’s not many pitchers you can say that about. So, you’ve got to get the ball down against him, essentially.

“And there is damage when you can get the ball in that area of the strike zone. But that means when he executes, you’re in trouble. And that’s generally how the great ones are. That’s how it works.”

Misiorowski has been making history all season, but has recently seemed a bit off, with his velocity dropping. It's unclear whether it stems from fatigue, as the Brewers' ace has significantly surpassed the number of innings he pitched last season, though Misiorowski has stated he feels completely fine.

With Misiorowski feeling fine, the Brewers likely should not be concerned at this point about his velocity dip, but it should stay on their radar. There are only a little more than 20 games left in the regular season, giving the 24-year-old a few more chances to pitch before the playoffs.

Even though his outing on Wednesday could be considered one of the worst of his career, it should be viewed as an outlier. Misiorowski has been elite this season, which the Brewers will need in the postseason.

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