​On July 4, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona, the Milwaukee Brewers faced the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field as Brandon Woodruff (53) took the mound in the third inning. The game featured a mark of misfortune for Milwaukee, who left nine runners on base in a 4-3 defeat. The Brewers entered the night determined to lift their starting pitching depth and improve with runners in scoring position, but the goals remained unfulfilled, despite one factor being out of their control.
Woodruff hoped to deliver a lengthy outing in his third start after returning from the injured list. After retiring the first two hitters in the bottom of the first, he issued a walk and a single to set the stage for Adrian Del Castillo, who then belted his fifth homer of the season to put Arizona up 3-0. The Brewers’ night quickly deteriorated when Woodruff’s velocity plummeted in the fourth inning. Curt Hogg reported that Woodruff’s changeups registered at 75 mph, seven ticks below his average, prompting the coaching staff to pull him from the game. This marked the second time this season that Woodruff exited early against Arizona due to injury.
With Woodruff out, rookie Craig Yoho delivered a standout relief performance, tossing 2.2 innings of perfect baseball and striking out one, extending his longest bullpen appearance since a two-year stint with Triple-A Nashville. After Woodruff’s departure, Christian Yelich finally found his timing at the plate, launching a two-run homer to right-center—the first since June 17—snapping an 0-for-12 skid. Yeli’s splash was highlighted by the Brewers’ social feed: “YELI TO THE SPLASH ZONE.”
Jared Koenig then entered to record the final two outs of the seventh, allowing Arizona to add an insurance run to make the score 4-2. Yelich’s two-run shot stood as the Brewers’ only offense until Jackson Chourio deposited a two-out homer to left field in the top of the ninth, trimming the deficit to one run. However, that would be all for Milwaukee’s offense, as the club remained hands-on with missed opportunities and stranded runners. The Brewers collected 12 hits on the night, yet their failure to come through with runners in scoring position continued to plague them.