After the Milwaukee Brewers faced a 20-9 defeat against the New York Yankees on Saturday, manager Pat Murphy candidly addressed the media about the game. It was evident from the outset that Brewers starting pitcher Nestor Cortes was struggling, as he allowed three consecutive home runs to the first three Yankees batters he faced. As noted by YES Network’s Michael Kay:
The Yankees just hit back-to-back-to-back home runs off their old friend, Nestor Cortes, on three consecutive pitches.
YES Network’s Michael Kay on the call: pic.twitter.com/MqmbMzBe2A
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2025
Things only worsened as the game progressed, marking truly a horrendous day for the Brewers’ pitching staff, which ultimately allowed nine home runs—setting a franchise record for the Yankees in a single game. Following the humiliating loss, Murphy described it as “an old-fashioned ass-whooping.”
Brewers manager Pat Murphy: “An old-fashioned ass-whooping.”
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) March 29, 2025
Murphy elaborated on Cortes’ struggle during the game, noting that he failed to locate his pitches effectively. “You think you’ve seen it all, and you haven’t,” Murphy reflected via Brewers beat writer for MLB.com, Adam McCulvy. “Because we saw it today: Three pitches, three homers. It’s like, really? Usually, you wake up from that. He just didn’t throw the ball well or execute. He would be the first to tell you. The ball wasn’t cutting, and he didn’t place it where he wanted to. When you throw like that, and your cutter is backing up, the Yankees are a powerhouse.”
Meanwhile, Cortes chose not to speak with reporters after the game, a fact shared publicly by Chris Kirschner, who covers the Yankees for The Athletic. “Nestor Cortes left Yankee Stadium without speaking with the media, according to a Brewers official,” Kirschner tweeted.
Nestor Cortes left Yankee Stadium without speaking with the media, according to a Brewers official.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) March 29, 2025
The Brewers will surely benefit from putting this game behind them quickly. However, it’s clear that Pat Murphy believes there is substantial work ahead for his team as they prepare for the series finale against the Yankees on Sunday.
