MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 13: Daniel Vogelbach #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers strikes out in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park on September 13, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Brewers had an unlucky day on offense.
The Milwaukee Brewers had a terrible day Sunday thanks to Chicago Cubs pitcher Alec Mills. Losing 12-0 was one thing. Being no-hit by Mills is why the Brewers may just want to forget the game ever happened.
Mills made history on a day when he only had five strikeouts. That means plenty of balls in play and diving deeper into the stats shows how unlucky the Brewers were at the plate.
Brewers just had a really bad day
A “hard-hit ball” is one with an exit velocity of at least 95 miles per hour. This seems like a classic case of the randomness of statistics making the Brewers look like the unluckiest lineup in baseball. The Cubs defense also deserves credit for nine innings without allowing a hit or making an error.
The Cubs had this game wrapped up after the fifth inning. The score was 9-0 and it would have been easy for Mills to cruise through the rest of his time on the mound. Or some defenders may have lost focus on what was an easy blowout win.
The Milwaukee lineup also had a chance to be more aggressive and just swing at every strike. They put the bat on the ball, but physics worked in favor of Mills and the Cubs.
Mills being the Cubs pitcher to get a no-hitter in 2020 is another thing that defies statistics. One would think Yu Darvish or Kyle Hendricks would have a better shot over someone like Mills who had six career starts entering the season.
But just like the Brewers mashing the ball and going hitless, Mills being the Cubs pitcher to throw a no-no makes sense in a weird way.