Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski hits 104.3 mph while throwing 3 innings of shutout relief

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jacob Misiorowski rediscovered the form that earned the flamethrowing rookie so much acclaim in the first few weeks after the Milwaukee Brewers called him up from the minors.

He was throwing heat. More importantly, he was throwing strikes.

Misiorowski fired three innings of scoreless relief while reaching at least 100 mph on 31 of his 57 pitches during the Brewers’ 7-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 2 of their NL Division Series on Monday night. He struck out four while allowing one hit and two walks.

It was the type of performance that showcased how much of an impact Misiorowski could make if the Brewers have a long postseason run.

“Miz stepped up,” manager Pat Murphy said. “You guys get all enthralled with MPH. I’m enthralled that he wasn’t giving up free bases, kept his composure with runners and that type of thing.”

Those have been the issues for Misiorowski during his eventful rookie season.

The right-hander garnered so much attention for his overpowering fastball that he was selected an All-Star after making just five starts. In two of them, he won head-to-head pitching matchups with NL Cy Young Award favorite Paul Skenes and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.

But he’s dealt with plenty of obstacles ever since.

Misiorowski went on the injured list with a bruised left tibia in early August. He returned later that month but allowed 23 runs (22 earned) over 32 2/3 innings from that point on.

His late slide pretty much assured that Misiorowski wouldn’t be part of the Brewers’ starting rotation for the playoffs, but his pure stuff demanded that he be included in Milwaukee’s postseason plans.

He entered Monday’s game with the score tied 3-all in the third inning. Each of his first eight pitches registered at least 102.6, including a top velocity of 104.3.

“I think I was so fired up, adrenaline pumping,” Misiorowski said. “You know, I didn’t really know where my feet were, but we landed, so it was fun. It was a lot of fun.”

When Misiorowski has struggled, he generally has either lost control of the strike zone or struggled to maintain his poise amid adversity. But he managed to balance showing his emotion while also maintaining his focus Monday as he helped the Brewers grab a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Misiorowski issued a one-out walk to Seiya Suzuki in the third inning but struck out Ian Happ and then got Carson Kelly to hit a grounder back to him.

“We needed to get him before he settled in, and he made some pitches to strike out Happ,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “If Ian gets on there, then there’s some pressure on him immediately.”

Misiorowski was so excited after Kelly’s grounder that he ran all the way from the pitcher’s mound to first base himself to retire the batter before pumping his fist repeatedly. Misiorowski said afterward he handled the play unassisted because he was worried about overthrowing first baseman Andrew Vaughn.

Even so, Murphy used the moment to offer a reminder to the 23-year-old.

“You’ve got to let him express himself, but then you've got to watch and see if he comes back to where he needs to be,” Murphy said. “It’s hard. He came off the mound in the (third) inning and he was ranting and raving and I gave him a little, like, ‘OK, stay with it.’

“He’s here at the highest level for a reason, and he’s been through some ups and downs. I think he’s pretty aware and pretty on high alert.”

Misiorowski walked Matt Shaw with two outs in the fourth and gave up a leadoff single to Nico Hoerner in the fifth, but didn’t let either runner advance beyond first base and ended up as the winning pitcher.

“I think the whole thing was just staying fired up, staying with that adrenaline pumping, and keep going at what I was doing before in (my) first inning,” Misiorowski said.

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Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) gestures after striking out Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson (7) during the fourth inning of Game 2 of baseball's National League Division Series Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) delivers during the third inning of Game 2 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) and catcher William Contreras (24) talk during the fourth inning of Game 2 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) delivers during the third inning of Game 2 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) celebrates after forcing the final out during the top of the third inning of Game 2 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban soldiers wearing white gloves marched out of a plane on Thursday carrying urns with the remains of the 32 Cuban officers killed during a stunning U.S. attack on Venezuela as trumpets and drums played solemnly at Havana's airport.

Nearby, thousands of Cubans lined one of the Havana’s most iconic streets to await the bodies of colonels, lieutenants, majors and captains as the island remained under threat by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The shoes of Cuban soldiers clacked as they marched stiff-legged into the headquarters of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, next to Revolution Square, with the urns and placed them on a long table next to the pictures of those slain so people could pay their respects.

Thursday’s mass funeral was only one of a handful that the Cuban government has organized in almost half a century.

Hours earlier, state television showed images of more than a dozen wounded people accompanied by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez arriving Wednesday night from Venezuela. Some were in wheelchairs.

The official announcer indicated that they were “combatants” who had been “wounded” in Venezuela. They were greeted by the Minister of the Interior, Lázaro Alberto Álvarez, and the Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Álvaro López Miera.

Those injured and the bodies of those killed arrived as tensions grow between Cuba and U.S., with President Donald Trump recently demanding that the Caribbean country make a deal with him before it is “too late.” He did not explain what kind of deal.

Trump also has said that Cuba will no longer live off Venezuela's money and oil. Experts warn that the abrupt end of oil shipments could be catastrophic for Cuba, which is already struggling with serious blackouts and a crumbling power grid.

Officials unfurled a massive flag at Havana's airport as President Miguel Díaz-Canel, clad in military garb as commander of Cuba's Armed Forces, stood silent next to former President Raúl Castro, with what appeared to be the relatives of those slain looking on nearby.

Cuban Interior Minister Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casa said Venezuela was not a distant land for those killed, but a “natural extension of their homeland.”

“The enemy speaks to an audience of high-precision operations, of troops, of elites, of supremacy,” Álvarez said in apparent reference to the U.S. “We, on the other hand, speak of faces, of families who have lost a father, a son, a husband, a brother.”

Álvarez called those slain “heroes,” saying that they were example of honor and “a lesson for those who waver.”

“We reaffirm that if this painful chapter of history has demonstrated anything, it is that imperialism may possess more sophisticated weapons; it may have immense material wealth; it may buy the minds of the wavering; but there is one thing it will never be able to buy: the dignity of the Cuban people,” he said.

Thousands of Cubans lined a street where motorcycles and military vehicles thundered by with the remains of those killed.

“They are people willing to defend their principles and values, and we must pay tribute to them,” said Carmen Gómez, a 58-year-old industrial designer, adding that she hopes no one invades given the ongoing threats.

When asked why she showed up despite the difficulties Cubans face, Gómez replied, "It’s because of the sense of patriotism that Cubans have, and that will always unite us.”

Cuba recently released the names and ranks of 32 military personnel — ranging in age from 26 to 60 — who were part of the security detail of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during the raid on his residence on January 3. They included members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, the island’s two security agencies.

Cuban and Venezuelan authorities have said that the uniformed personnel were part of protection agreements between the two countries.

Meanwhile, a demonstration was planned for Friday across from the U.S. Embassy in an open-air forum known as the Anti-Imperialist Tribune. Officials have said they expect the demonstration to be massive.

“People are upset and hurt. There’s a lot of talk on social media; but many do believe that the dead are martyrs” of a historic struggle against the United States, analyst and former diplomat Carlos Alzugaray told The Associated Press.

In October 1976, then-President Fidel Castro led a massive demonstration to bid farewell to the 73 people killed in the bombing of a Cubana de Aviación civilian flight financed by anti-revolutionary leaders living in the U.S. Most of the victims were Cuban athletes returning to their island.

In December 1989, officials organized “Operation Tribute” to honor the remains of more than 2,000 Cuban combatants who died in Angola during Cuba’s participation in the war that defeated the South African army and ended the apartheid system. In October 1997, memorial services were held following the arrival of the remains of guerrilla commander Ernesto “Che” Guevara and six of his comrades, who died in 1967.

A day before the remains of those slain arrived in Cuba, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced $3 million in relief aid to help the island recover from the catastrophic Hurricane Melissa, which struck in late October.

The first flight took off from Florida on Wednesday, and a second flight was scheduled for Friday. A commercial vessel also will deliver food and other supplies.

“We have taken extraordinary measures to ensure that this assistance reaches the Cuban people directly, without interference or diversion by the illegitimate regime,” Rubio said, adding that the U.S. government was working with Cuba's Catholic Church.

The announcement riled Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez.

“The U.S. government is exploiting what appears to be a humanitarian gesture for opportunistic and politically manipulative purposes,” he said in a statement. “As a matter of principle, Cuba does not oppose assistance from governments or organizations, provided it benefits the people and the needs of those affected are not used for political gain under the guise of humanitarian aid.”

Coto contributed from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Workers fly the Cuban flag at half-staff at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune near the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in memory of Cubans who died two days before in Caracas, Venezuela during the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)