Looking back at Brewers pitcher Woodruff's first start
Brandon Woodruff gets his second career start for the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. He can only hope it goes as well as his first.
However, that might be hard to accomplish.
Woodruff was just the sixth Brewers starter to win his major-league debut while pitching at least six innings and striking out five or more batters.
| PITCHER | DATE | OPP | IP | K |
| Gary Ryerson | 6/28/1972 | CLE | 9 | 5 |
| Gary Beare | 9/7/1976 | CLE | 9 | 8 |
| Steve Woodard | 7/28/1997 | TOR | 8 | 12 |
| Chris Saenz | 4/24/2004 | STL | 6 | 7 |
| Taylor Jungmann | 6/9/2015 | PIT | 7 | 5 |
| Brandon Woodruff | 8/4/2017 | TB | 6.1 | 6 |
In addition, he is also one of six Milwaukee starters to toss scoreless ball in his MLB debut.
| PITCHER | DATE | OPP | IP |
| Jim Slaton | 4/14/1971 | CWS | 6 |
| Jeff D'Amico | 6/28/1996 | TOR | 5.2 |
| Steve Woodard | 7/28/1997 | TOR | 8 |
| Chris Saenz | 4/24/2004 | STL | 6 |
| Taylor Jungmann | 6/9/2015 | PIT | 7 |
| Brandon Woodruff | 8/4/2017 | TB | 6.1 |
Only Woodruff, Chris Saenz and Steve Woodard make both lists.
For Saenz, it would be the only start of his career as he injured his arm in the minors later that year and never re-emerged.
Woodard had the best initial start of any Brewers player. He allowed a leadoff double to Otis Nixon and then didn't allow a hit the rest of the way, striking out 12 as he outdueled Toronto's Roger Clemens, who would win the Cy Young Award that season.
Other notes:
-- Minnesota throws out 44-year-old Bartolo Colon on Wednesday. Colon tossed a complete game in his last start, the oldest to do so since 47-year-old Jamie Moyer in 2010 and just the fifth time a pitcher who was 44 years or older accomplished the feat since 1994.
-- Colon, by the way, is a right-hander. Travis Shaw is batting .309 vs. righties this season.
-- Despite Tuesday's 11-run outing, Brewers pitchers have a 3.24 ERA against American League teams this season.
-- Minnesota and Milwaukee have split the last 30 games played at Miller Park.
Statistics courtesy STATS and baseball-reference
