ATLANTA (AP) — When Milwaukee scored eight runs in the second inning of Sunday's game at Atlanta, Robert Gasser's path to his first win since 2024 seemed clear.
When the left-hander had thrown 66 pitches through only three innings, it seemed far less certain Gasser would remain in the game long enough to qualify for the win.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy believed it was time to give Gasser a strong pep talk.
“We challenged him and he took it well, he did a good job,” Murphy said after Gasser gave up two runs in six innings in the 9-4 win over the Braves. Gasser's outing was crucial as the Brewers salvaged one win in the three-game series.
Gasser (1-3) earned his first win since May 15, 2024, against Pittsburgh.
“It’s awesome,” Gasser said. “It’s obviously great to have the win next to your name, but just to help the team get a win at the back end of the series is huge.”
Gasser allowed four hits and one walk. His seven strikeouts and six innings matched career highs.
Gasser, 27, had not completed six innings in any of his first five starts this season. He was aware his pitch count was too high early in the game.
“There were some really long at-bats in there, especially the first two innings,” Gasser said. “And I looked up and saw 50 pitches and I knew we had to figure out how to get some outs quicker.”
After giving up a leadoff double to Michael Harris II in the fourth inning, Gasser recorded nine consecutive outs to end his outing.
When asked about the challenge from Murphy, Gasser said the message was “showing up ready to go, don’t let the flow of the game dictate how I’m gonna play from pitch one. Be on the attack, be pitching to win the game.”
Murphy said Gasser pitched with more confidence after stacking up the high pitch count early in the game.
“It’s about belief,” Murphy said. “Start to believe. I don’t know if it helped, I have no idea ... but he pitched better.”
Gasser was 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in five starts in 2024 before Tommy John surgery shortened his season. He returned for two starts in 2025.
Gasser's long-awaited win may be a sign he has made a full recovery and is again ready to perform at the potential that made him a second-round draft pick by San Diego in 2021.
“Yeah, I’m definitely confident,” he said. “It’s more so just the belief, regardless of who we’re playing every single time, and just go out there and believe in my stuff and what I’m able to do.”
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Milwaukee Brewers' William Contreras (24) celebrates after batting in three runs during the second inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, June 21, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik Rank)
Milwaukee Brewers' Garrett Mitchell (5) celebrates after stealing home during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, June 21, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik Rank)
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Robert Gasser (54) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, June 21, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik Rank)
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella held a razor-thin lead in Colombia’s presidential election with nearly all the votes counted Sunday, in a runoff vote marked by people’s fears of a renewed internal conflict.
A victory by de la Espriella would effectively be an indictment of the policies of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, whose protégé had promised to continue his agenda if he defeated his rival.
De la Espriella, a business owner and lawyer who earned U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement despite never having run for office, led progressive lawmaker Iván Cepeda taking 49.7% of the votes, with 99.9% complete results released by electoral authorities. Cepeda, Petro’s ally, earned 48.7% support. Election officials have not formally announced a winner.
Cepeda said his team will challenge results from more than 30,000 voting stations; Petro also vowed to challenge the outcome.
No recount has flipped the results of a presidential election in Colombian history.
People in the streets of Bogota yelled “Petro out! Petro out!” and honked car horns.
Both candidates pitched voters widely different strategies to prevent the South American country from experiencing the nonstop merciless violence, such as car bombs, kidnappings, disappearances and forced displacements, that Colombians lived with in previous decades.
De la Espriella, 47, promised a heavy-handed approach to crime-fighting, including drug trafficking. He also said he plans to end Petro’s attempts to establish parallel peace negotiations with multiple armed groups – an effort that has largely failed – and build mega-prisons, emulating Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele aggressive policies. Those tactics have lowered homicide rates in the Central American country but have fueled accusations of human rights abuses.
De la Espriella, nicknamed “The Tiger,” holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship. He's a Trump supporter and a member of the Republican Party.
“We have had an armed conflict and a drug trafficking problem for too long, and this has greatly polarized the country,” retired economist Víctor Duque, 72, said while wearing a national soccer team jersey at a voting center in the capital, Bogota. “I believe it is one of the most important elections that has taken place in Colombia this century.”
In the first round, Cepeda earned 41% of the vote, while de la Espriella garnered 44%, according to official results. Petro, without evidence, sowed doubts in the results after Cepeda, who had consistently lead polls ahead of the May vote, did not win outright and even finished behind de la Espriella.
Yolanda Hernández, 49, voted early Sunday before she started selling black-ink pens outside a Bogota voting center. Clients, she said, buy the pens because ink cannot be erased from paper ballots, which reduces the possibility of fraud.
Hernández, who recycles trash for a living, voted for Petro in 2022, but cast her ballot for de la Espriella this time. While she acknowledged that Petro was unable to deliver on promises meant to help the poor because of congressional gridlock, she said Colombia cannot afford another four years under his vision for the country.
“We want change in Colombia because it’s always the same violence, always the same thing,” Hernández said. “(Petro) said he was going to lower the cost of services, that he was going to lower the price of food, and everything is more expensive.”
The election comes 10 years after Colombia signed a historic peace pact with guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, that had offered hope to break the nation’s vicious cycle of fighting between rebel groups and the government.
But violence has since roared back, particularly as most rebel groups abandoned their ideologically driven fight for the financial benefits of drug trafficking.
Last year, authorities recorded 14,780 homicides, the most since at least 2015 and driven by clashes among illegal armed groups. Among those killed was conservative presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe. Extortions have also soared, reaching 13,417 cases in 2025, more than double the number tallied in 2015.
De la Espriella, a political newcomer nicknamed “The Tiger,” promised to fiercely go after criminals and build 10 mega-prisons, emulating the policies of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele that have lowered homicide rates but have fueled accusations of human rights abuses.
Cepeda said he will carry on Petro's fraught signature plan to achieve “total peace” by negotiating pacts with guerrillas and criminal gangs. The heavily criticized strategy that Petro kicked off in 2022 took until Thursday to see the first armed group — one with about 100 members — give up its weapons and begin a resettlement process that will lead to their reintegration into civilian life. Colombia's illegal groups have more than 27,000 members.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Presidents Javier Milei of Argentina and Daniel Noboa of Ecuador were among the political leaders to first congratulate de la Espriella.
"The Trump Administration looks forward to working closely with your incoming administration to advance regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen our economic ties," Rubio said on X. “Colombia's best days are ahead.”
Presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda of the ruling Historic Pact coalition embraces his vice-presidential running mate, Aida Quilcue, during an election night appearance after election results showed him trailing in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
A supporter of presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the opposition Defenders of the Motherland movement light a flare at a celebration rally after polls closed in the runoff election in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the opposition Defenders of the Motherland movement and his vice-presidential running mate, Jose Manuel Restrepo, ride in a bulletproof booth toward a celebration rally after election results showed him leading in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Supporters of presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda of the ruling Historic Pact coalition react to preliminary election results at his campaign headquarters after polls closed in the runoff election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Supporters of presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the opposition Defenders of the Motherland movement celebrate early result after polls closed in the runoff election in Cali, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga)
Presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the opposition Defenders of the Motherland movement arrives to vote in the runoff election in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. ((AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
An electoral official calls the next voter in line during the presidential runoff election in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026.(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda of the ruling Historic Pact coalition waves after voting in the runoff election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
A voter marks his ballot in a classroom decorated with flags of countries participating in the World Cup serving as a polling station during the presidential runoff election in Santander de Quilichao, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga)
Voters line up during the runoff presidential election in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro shows a ballot during the runoff election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
A voter waits in line with her dog, which is wearing a Colombia soccer team jersey and has its face painted as a tiger, at a polling station during the runoff election in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
Presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the opposition Defenders of the Motherland movement arrives to vote with his family during the runoff election in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
A voter wearing a national soccer team jersey waits for his turn to cast his ballot during the runoff election in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
Presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella stands before supporters from inside a bulletproof booth during his campaign rally in Buga, Colombia, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga)
Supporters of presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella attend his campaign rally in Buga, Colombia, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga)
Historic Pact coalition presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda waves during a campaign rally in Bogota, Colombia, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Supporters of Historic Pact coalition presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda attend his campaign rally in Bogota, Colombia, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
