Milwaukee, WI
Brewers 24, Dodgers 9: Yes, you read that correctly
See what happens when Brandon Woodruff faces Christian Yelich
See what happens when Brandon Woodruff faces Christian Yelich, the two highest-paid players in Brewers history, in a simulated game March 13, 2026.
GLENDALE, Ariz. – It was a full-fledged, unabashed cacophony of Cactus cuckooness. The kind of game where you just pray someone’s mom calls “Dinnertime!” and mercifully ends the whole thing. The kind of game that’s such a football score on the scoreboard that the manager started scheming up a run-pass option offense in the eighth inning.
The kind of game that perfectly sums up spring training in mid-March in the valley of the sun.
“Only in the Cactus League,” Pat Murphy said after the Milwaukee Brewers’ 24-9 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 16 at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.
In all there would be 466 pitches thrown, 207 of them balls. Of those 466, 250 were from Dodgers hurlers; only once in the pitch tracking era since 2008 has a team thrown more pitches in a single nine-inning game than that. That game on July 16, 2021, saw the Washington Nationals chuck 258 mostly hapless-pellets toward the plate in, coincidentally, a 24-8 loss.
By the time the Dodgers were walking in a carousel of runs late, Murphy was talking off the ear of coaches Jace Peterson and Daniel Vogelbach about his machinations of an RPO offense. Peterson, a former cornerback at McNeese State, would be a viable quarterback or running back in Murphy’s scheme; it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine what position Vogelbach would play.
“My concentration went away from me,” Murphy said.
The pitchers, too, perhaps.
Before the afternoon turned into a live action role play of the Baseball Bugs episode of “Looney Tunes,” it had every semblance of another spring dud for the Brewers, who have their fair share of clunkers in meaningless endeavors.
One day after nearly being on the wrong end of a perfect game against the Giants, the Brewers fell behind, 7-0, as opening day rotation member Chad Patrick got pummeled for a pair of home runs.
Then, the parade began. Dodgers pitchers stopped finding the zone, their fielders stopped gloving the ball and the Brewers bats were scorching hot under the Arizona sun.
First, it was a 10-run fifth that lasted 32 minutes. Then, a nine-run seventh that spanned 29 minutes. Brandon Lockridge hit a grand slam. There was a three-run sacrifice fly. Eleven Brewers walked over the final five innings. Three of those came consecutively with the bases loaded. A pinch runner came back around to bat in the same inning he entered as a runner – and he homered. Nearly four hours elapsed.
Lockridge finished 3 for 5, while Jett Williams and Luis Rengifo also had multi-hit days.
Prospect Brady Ebel was the pinch-runner-turned-batter in the seventh, and homered against the team his dad, Dino, is third base coach for. Ebel, the 32nd overall pick by the Brewers in last summer’s draft, spent his formative years at Dodger Stadium taking grounders and hitting batting practice with his father.
It was the second time that Brady has gotten in a game this spring against his dad’s team, although in both instances Dino, who’s serving as the third base coach for the United State in the World Baseball Classic, wasn’t in the opposing dugout.
Sixty pitches were thrown in the top of the fifth. That was the most in a single inning in the Cactus League this spring …until two innings later when Dodgers pitchers Jack Dreyer, Kelvin Ramirez and Evan Shaw combined to throw 62.
And yet it somehow got even worse.
The real backbreaker for those with dinner plans came in the top of the ninth. Lucas Wepf, a Class AA reliever, started the inning on the mound and went walk, single, single, walk, walk. He was offered clemency by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who took the ball from him and handed it to Robby Porco, a 12th rounder a year ago who’s yet to make his professional debut, to inherit another bases-full mess.
Porco walked the first batter he faced. On four pitches.
The real hero of the day wasn’t Lockridge or Ebel or any of the hitters who hung 24 runs on the board, but rather a minor-league free agent signing named Joe Corbett, whose heroics included a three-up, three-down bottom of the ninth, bringing to an end the 3-hour, 54-minute goat rodeo.
At least it was so late that by the time all the patrons got home, mom did, after all, have dinner ready.
Prospect watch
Seeing as it was a full-on circus, just about every last member of the travel roster got into the game. Ebel, Luke Adams, Cooper Pratt, Mike Boeve and Braylon Payne were among the notable prospects to enter the game.
Brewers spring training schedule
Off-day Tuesday.
Brewers (split squad) vs. Angels, 3:10 p.m. Wednesday: Milwaukee LHP Aaron Ashby vs. Los Angeles TBA. Radio – 620 WTMJ.
Brewers (split squad) at Mariners, 3:10 p.m. Wednesday: Milwaukee LHP Kyle Harrison vs. Seattle RHP Emerson Hancock. Broadcast – Brewers.TV.
Starting on Tuesday, May 26, a portion of the intersection at South 35th Street and West National Avenue will be closed to northbound drivers, city officials announced at a press conference on Wednesday, May 20.
Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa and Ald. Peter Burgelis announced that the new construction, which will close part of South 35th Street, is being led by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
While a part of the road will be closed, the 35th Street Viaduct will remain open.
The partial closure of the major thoroughfare is among a series of construction projects affecting Milwaukee travelers, including Dominique Alvarado-Gonzalez, who lives on the south side and commutes north each day to take her kids to school near Marquette University’s campus.
Before the construction began on the south side, Alvarado-Gonzalez said she would take South 16th Street, South 27th Street or South 35th Street to drive up to the north side of the city.
Now, all of those roads connecting the north and south sides have been impacted by repair projects through the Milwaukee Department of Public Works and the state Department of Transportation.
“The roads are all torn up,” Alvarado-Gonzalez said. “It’s like a puzzle getting in there … no matter what time of day you’re traveling, there’s traffic everywhere.”
Elected officials say they received no notice of road closure
At the press conference, Zamarripa said there was no communication between the department and the Common Council to help notify neighbors on the south side.
Burgelis said he learned about the project when a constituent tagged him in a Facebook post about the closure.
“There are instances where I think they have not taken the time to properly educate neighbors, constituents, commuters,” Zamarripa said. “I would like to speak with [the Department of Transportation] leadership … I am very concerned about the latest limiting of access to 35th Street.”
Zamarripa said she will be meeting with Public Works and Milwaukee Water Works to discuss how people should navigate the south side amid the latest closure.
“It’s just become untenable,” Zamarripa said. “I can only imagine how the average Milwaukeean feels when they’re trying to navigate city streets, and they just don’t know what’s going to be accessible and what isn’t.”
Street closures increase on Milwaukee’s South Side
Currently, the 16th Street, 27th Street, and 60th Street Viaducts are all closed, leaving the Sixth and 35th Street Viaducts as the only bridges connecting the near south side of Milwaukee to the rest of the city.
According to Zamarripa, the city’s Public Works department fought to keep the 35th Street Viaduct open, only partially restricting travel, to reduce the impact on residents.
“Closing down one of the two remaining access points I think is a very, very bad idea,” Burgelis said.
In addition to the bridges that are closed for repairs, the National Avenue Reconstruction Project, led by Public Works and the state Department of Transportation, has limited drivers on West National Avenue between South 39th Street and South 27th Street to westbound travel only during its first phase.
A portion of West Lincoln Avenue from South 27th Street to South 31st Street is also closed on the south side.
“These investments are needed, but we have to be able to coordinate them better so our residents aren’t impacted,” Burgelis said.
Closures affect local business on south side
Jose Lozoya, owner of National Liquor Mart and El Caporal Authentic Mexican Grill on South 16th Street and West National Avenue, said his profits decreased a bit when the National Avenue construction began, but he was given years of notice by Public Works to prepare for the impact.
The bridge closures, particularly the 16th Street Viaduct, have hit harder, Lozoya said.
Since the start of construction, Lozoya said his profits have decreased by 50% with the loss of road and foot traffic. He was not given any notice before the 16th Street project began and said he wasn’t asked to give input on the project as he was with the National Avenue Reconstruction. He had to call Zamarripa’s office to learn why the 16th Street Viaduct was closed, he said.
“I think they should have closed one viaduct at a time,” Lozoya said. “It’s affected a lot of us in the area … now we have to regain the business.”
Alyssa Salcedo covers Silver City, Layton Park and Burnham Park for the Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch. Contact her at asalcedo@usatodayco.com.
Neighborhood Dispatch reporting is supported by Zilber Family Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Journal Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is made possible through our partnership with Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association, and EnMotive, LLC, a subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc. USA TODAY Co., Inc. is the parent company of this publication.
Milwaukee, WI
I Use These Milwaukee Tools Every Day, and They’re up to 50% Off Ahead of Memorial Day
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Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
A good set of cordless tools will give your DIY projects polish, save you time, and make your life easier. But quality tools can be expensive. I use Milwaukee 18-volt tools in my personal tool kit and I’ve used them for everything from fixing my bathroom sink to building a deck. The batteries last at least 10 years without needing to be replaced, and the tools are comfortable to grip for long periods of time. There are some good Memorial Day deals at Home Depot on the tools I swear by.
If you’re starting a cordless tool set from scratch, a bundle will save you money and set you up with all the basics you need. Because these sets usually come with batteries and chargers as well as tools, they’re a good choice to begin a cordless tool set.
The Milwaukee 18-volt, six-tool set is now $499, 50% off its regular price. The bundle comes with a drill, an impact driver, an oscillating multitool, a circular saw, an angle grinder, a work light, two four-amp-hour batteries, a charger, and a tool bag. These tools can be used for basic projects, like hanging shelves, and for more advanced projects like cutting and building your own shelves.
Most DIY home improvement projects, from installing molding to repairing a deck will involve some cutting. Depending on what the scope of your project is, different types of cutting and shaping tools will be useful for different applications. There are a few good deals on cutting tools that will come in handy if you’re doing any building, patching, or rebuilding.
The 18-volt Milwaukee sawzall is $269, 51% off its usual price. This saw comes with a five-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a stacking case that’s compatible with the Milwaukee system. A sawzall is good for making rough cuts and trimming small to medium branches on trees and shrubs.
The 18-volt Milwaukee oscillating multitool is $119, 40% off its typical price. It comes with a two-amp-hour battery and a charger. This is the most versatile tool out there: It can be used to plunge cut, trim plaster and drywall, cut wood, PVC, metal, and foam, and can be adapted for sanding and buffing. I use my oscillating multitool on nearly every project I work on.
The Milwaukee 18-volt angle grinder is $299, 47% off its regular price. This tool comes with two six-amp-hour batteries and a charger. You can use an angle grinder for cutting metal, grinding welds, polishing metal, cutting off screw and nail tips that poke through, and for cleaning and buffing your surfaces. Some people use angle grinders for cutting tile and removing grout, but if you use yours for this, it’s important to make sure that the tile you’re cutting isn’t made from stone, that your material is wet, and that you wear proper safety gear like safety goggles and a respirator. The dust from masonry and tile can contain silica dust that’s quite dangerous to inhale.
What do you think so far?
This Milwaukee drill and driver are both on sale
A drill and driver are the most basic tools in a cordless set. Both the Milwaukee 18-volt, ½-inch chuck cordless drill and the 18-volt cordless impact driver are $129, 35% off their usual price. These tools will allow you to drive screws and bolts and drill holes for projects like mounting a flat screen TV or swapping out hardware on your cabinets.
These Milwaukee bits and extras are on sale, too
Milwaukee makes a wide range of tools to fit their 18-volt batteries, and one of my favorite surprise tools is on sale right now. There’s also an excellent deal on a hole saw set from Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee 18-volt cordless inflator is $299, 45% off its typical price. This tool comes with two six-amp-hour batteries and a charger. It can be really handy to have in your emergency roadside kit to inflate a tire and you can also use it for rafts or other inflatables. The inflator tool has a pressure gauge, an auto-shut-off feature, and three-foot hose for easy reach.
The Milwaukee eight-piece hole saw kit is $29.97, 40% off its regular price. The set comes with four sizes of hole saw blades, three drill bits, an arbor, and case. Hole saws can be used for cutting larger sized holes for passing wiring through timber, installing some types of door latches and knobs, and for creating cable pass-throughs in desktops.
Ruth the African Elephant likes to make her presence known by smashing things
Ruth, an African Elephant at the Milwaukee Zoo, likes to pick things up and smash them down.
Milwaukee County Zoo
A Yang without his Yin. The Milwaukee County Zoo is mourning the loss of another one of its animals.
Chinese alligator Yin, a longtime resident, was humanely euthanized in early May, the zoo shared in a Tuesday, May 19, post on its website and social media. She is suspected to have had ovarian cancer with metastasis, the zoo shared, citing preliminary necropsy results.
“Yin was a favorite among zookeepers and will be missed,” the post said. “She was very smart and slower to trust but comfortable once she knew the animal care team members. The zookeepers noted she was strong-willed and intelligent, and loved shrimp.”
When the animal care team noticed Yin was having mobility issues last June, the veterinary staff assessed her, which lead to antibiotic treatment for a spinal lesion, the post said. More recently, Yin’s skin condition and appetite have been declining.
“After much consideration about her quality of life, along with a poor prognosis, the team made the decision to humanely euthanize her,” the post said.
Yin was nearly 41 years old. The median life expectancy for a Chinese alligator in human care in 26 years old, according to the zoo.
Yin and male Chinese alligator Yang, 39, have been behind the scenes since Yin’s treatment began, with Yang providing companionship to her, the post said.
“In the morning, Yin and Yang were often seen laying closely, and they spent a lot of time together,” the post said.
Yin and Yang came to Milwaukee together from the Bronx Zoo in 1995.
Yang – who zookeepers note is healthy – will return to the Chinese alligator habitat, located in the zoo’s Aquatic & Reptile Center, once ongoing pool renovations to the habitat are completed, the post said.
The zoo has been in contact with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan Program coordinator, the post said, and Milwaukee will likely receive a recommendation for another female in the future.
Yin’s death comes just around a month after another longtime zoo resident, Brittany – a 45-year-old African savanna elephant – was humanely euthanized after her health declined. In September, one of the zoo’s other beloved geriatric elephants, Ruth, was euthanized after a couple of falls.
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