Brewers' Misiorowski sets standard for velocity by a starter as he reaches 103 mph on 10 pitches

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski set a standard for velocity by a starting pitcher while keeping up his habit of performing best in high-profile situations.

Misiorowski threw 10 pitches of at least 103 mph while striking out 11 over six dominant innings in the Brewers' 6-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night. He had three pitches of 103.6 mph, the highest velocity any starter has reached since Statcast tracking began in 2008.

The 24-year-old right-hander called it a top-three performance in his major league career, which started less than a year ago but already has plenty of highlights.

Misiorowski won head-to-head matchups with 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw as a rookie. He had a 1.50 ERA in three postseason appearances last year.

“It's just adrenaline,” Misiorowski said. “That’s all it is. You start getting hyped up and you want to perform for your teammates behind you because they're doing the same for me. That’s the whole goal."

Brewers manager Pat Murphy has another perspective on why Misiorowski shines the brighest when the stakes seem highest.

“Miz is interested in being great,” Murphy said. “And he's in that process of being great.”

Misiorowski shut down the highest-scoring team in the American League on Friday with one of the most remarkable performances of the Statcast era.

Starters had combined for three pitches of at least 103 mph since tracking started in 2008, including one by Misiorowski in his previous outing.

Before Friday, the fastest pitch thrown by a starter since 2008 was a 103.2 mph offering from Jordan Hicks on July 12, 2022. Misiorowski threw seven pitches that were at least that fast in the first two innings.

Misiorowski’s memorable outing followed a pregame chat with Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia, who was inducted into the Brewers’ Wall of Honor on Friday.

“CC’s the man,” Misiorowski said. “It’s really cool to meet a guy like that. He came in before (the game) and we got to really talk to him and pick his brain a little bit. It was fun.”

The discussion must have pumped Misiorowski up. He nearly opened the game with an immaculate inning.

Misiorowski struck out Trent Grisham and Ben Rice on three pitches each to start the game and got a quick 0-2 count on Aaron Judge, who took a ball before lining out to right fielder Sal Frelick.

“I had no clue,” Misiorowski said. “I got told in the dugout. I went back and looked. I thought (the ball) was close, but, ‘Oh, well.’ ”

All 10 of the pitches Misiorowski threw in the first inning went at least 102.4 mph. Yet he maintained his velocity well enough that he reached 103 mph in the fifth inning on his 71st pitch fo the night. He ended his night with consecutive strikeouts of Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger.

Murphy credited that improved endurance to the work Misiorowski has done between starts to build his strength. Murphy compared it to the adjustments a boxer must make when he goes from the three-round bouts in the amateur ranks to longer fights at the professional level.

Forty-one of the 95 pitches Misiorowski threw went 100 mph or higher, raising his season total to 193 in eight starts.

“I’m not real keen on the velo, whether it’s 100 or 103 or whatever,” Murphy said. “I just know if you don’t have your other stuff or don’t locate that in the zone or you're throwing it just down the middle, these guys can time up a jet plane. It’s not just velo. There’s a lot more to it.”

Misiorowski's results have been as impressive as his velocity.

He leads the major leagues with 70 strikeouts and is the first pitcher to have at least 70 through his first eight starts of a season since Atlanta's Spencer Strider in 2023.

This was the second straight start in which Misiorowski held his opponent scoreless. He had thrown 43 pitches of at least 100 mph in his prior start while working 5 1/3 shutout innings in a 6-1 victory over Washington. Misiorowski hadn't allowed a hit when he left that game due to a right hamstring cramp.

“It’s hard to believe that you’re going to see something you possibly haven’t, with how much baseball we play,” Brewers reliever Shane Drohan said. “But when he’s on the mound, it’s possible.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts after being called for a balk during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 33 points and sealed the game with big buckets late to the delight of roaring Knicks fans, leading New York to a 108-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night for a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Brunson shook off a 2-of-8 start from the floor and finished 11 of 22 in 38 minutes to send the Knicks to their sixth straight postseason victory.

“I'm Linus. Jalen's my blanket,” first-year Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “He helps me relax at a lot of different times during the course of the game."

With 2016 and 2018 Villanova national championship banners hanging in the rafters, the so-called Nova Knicks all took turns taking the fight out of the Sixers in the fourth quarter, turning a four-point lead into another double-digit victory.

Josh Hart had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Mikal Bridges added 23 points, pushing the Knicks within one victory of their second straight conference finals appearance.

When Brown took the job after Tom Thibodeau was fired, the veteran coach said he wouldn't know what kind of team he really had until he got “into the trenches with them.”

Brown now sees the makings of a championship team.

“Yeah, OK, we might have a chance at this,” he said.

The Knicks have the luxury not to rush back forward OG Anunoby, who's averaging 21.4 points per game in the postseason. He sat out with a strained right hamstring and remains day to day.

Joel Embiid scored 18 points for the Sixers in his return after he missed Game 2 with a sprained right ankle and a sore right hip.

"I thought he gave us everything he could," coach Nick Nurse said.

Embiid's return from an appendectomy helped spur the Sixers' rally from a 3-1 deficit in the opening round to stun the Celtics.

Beating the Knicks four straight times — including twice in New York — seems like a much harder hill to climb for Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 22 points and Maxey added 17. Paul George scored 15 points in the first quarter, then went scoreless and missed all nine shots the rest of the game as the Sixers blew a 12-point lead.

George and Maxey each failed to shoot a single free throw.

The 76ers went 13 of 16 from the line while the Knicks made 23 of 32.

“I guess it's good when New York wins,” Embiid said.

The 76ers gamely tried to make it a series. Quintin Grimes hit his first two 3s of the game early in the fourth to trim the lead to 88-84.

The familiar faces in Philly — Brunson, Hart and Bridges all played for Villanova — seized control of the game.

Hart and Bridges made consecutive baskets that pushed the lead to 92-84. Brunson, the stone-cold shooter built for these moments, buried a 3 from the top of the arc that made it 95-86 during a 9-0 Knicks run, to the delight of the visiting fans.

Embiid openly pleaded with fans ahead of the series not to sell their tickets to New Yorkers.

Celebrity Row regulars at Madison Square Garden, Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Morgan and Ben Stiller all made the trip to Philadelphia, along with thousands of less famous Knicks fans — and the split crowd erupted in cheers, boos and the occasional middle finger on just about every basket.

Chalamet rose from his seat and applauded when Landry Shamet buried a late 3 in the third that stretched the lead to 85-76. Shamet had 14 points this entire postseason before he scored 15 in Game 3.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New York Knicks' fan react during the second half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers Friday, May 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson reacts during the second half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers Friday, May 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid reacts after a foul call during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the New York Knicks Friday, May 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Knicks' Landry Shamet, left, dunks past Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Friday, May 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns, left, tries to get past Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Friday, May 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson, right, passes against Philadelphia 76ers' Andre Drummond during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Friday, May 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson, left, reacts past Philadelphia 76ers' Kelly Oubre Jr. during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Friday, May 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)