List of Milwaukee Brewers Opening Day starting pitchers

The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They play in the National League Central division. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season,[1] though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day.[2] The Brewers played their inaugural season in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots, playing home games at Sick's Stadium. The team moved to Milwaukee in 1970, and played their home games at Milwaukee County Stadium until 2000. The team's current home, Miller Park, has been the Brewers' home field since the start of the 2001 season.[3] The Pilots/Brewers played their first 29 seasons in the American League, and switched leagues at the start of the 1998 season.[4]

Ben Sheets, the Opening Day starting pitcher in 2008, the sixth time he started on Opening Day

The Brewers have used 28 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 47 seasons. The 28 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 15 wins, 17 losses and 15 no decisions. No decisions are only awarded to the starting pitcher if the game is won or lost after the starting pitcher has left the game or if the starting pitcher pitches fewer than five innings. Of the 15 no decisions, the Brewers went on to win eight and lose six of those games (one ended in a tie), for a team record on Opening Day of 23–23–1.[5][6]

The Pilots' first Opening Day starting pitcher was Marty Pattin, who received the win in a 4–3 victory against the California Angels.[7] After the team's move to Milwaukee in 1970, Lew Krausse Jr. was charged with the loss in a game at Milwaukee County Stadium vs. the Angels.[8] Ben Sheets holds the club record for most Opening Day starts with six, from 2002 through 2005 and again in both 2007 and 2008.[5] Sheets has a 3–0 record as a starter on Opening Day, the franchise's best record.[9] Marty Pattin and Mike Caldwell also have perfect records; both won each of their two starts. The Brewers' 17 Opening Day losses by starters are distributed among 16 different pitchers, each having lost one game, excluding Yovani Gallardo, who has lost two.[5][6][10]

Steve Woodard received an unusual no-decision in 2000, when the team's Opening Day game against the Cincinnati Reds was called in the sixth inning due to rain, with the score tied at 3.[11] This was the first Opening Day tie game since 1965.[12]

The Brewers advanced to the playoffs in 1981, 1982, 2008, and 2011.[13] The franchise's first playoff experience was in the strike-shortened 1981 season.[14] In a special format created for that season, the Brewers were the second-half champion and lost the AL Division Series to the first-half champion, the New York Yankees, in five games.[15] Mike Caldwell had started and won on Opening Day that season, but the team's playoff opener had Moose Haas start and lose a 5–3 game to the Yankees.[16] The Brewers' lost the 1982 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games; Pete Vuckovich was the Opening Day starter and winner that season and Mike Caldwell was the starting pitcher in the team's first World Series appearance, a 10–0 win.[17] In the 2008 season, Ben Sheets was the Opening Starter in a no-decision; Yovani Gallardo started and lost the first game of the 2008 National League Division Series, which was won by the Philadelphia Phillies in four games.[18]

Overall, the Brewers' Opening Day starting pitchers have a record of 3 wins and 2 losses at Milwaukee County Stadium and 2 wins and 3 losses at Miller Park. The Brewers' Opening Day starting pitchers' combined home record is 5 wins and 5 losses, and their away record is 10 wins and 11 losses.[5][6][10]

Key
Miller Park, the team's home stadium since 2001
Season Each year is linked to an article about that particular Pilots/Brewers season.
W Win
L Loss
ND (W) No decision by starting pitcher; Pilots/Brewers won game
ND (L) No decision by starting pitcher; Pilots/Brewers lost game
Final Score (#) Game score with Pilots/Brewers runs listed first;
in parentheses are the number of innings over 9
Location Stadium in italics for home game
Pitcher (#) Number of appearances as Opening Day starter with the Pilots/Brewers
* Advanced to the post-season
** Won the American League Championship Series

Opening Day results
Season Pitcher Decision Final
score		 Opponent Location Attendance Ref(s)
1969 Marty Pattin W 4–3 California Angels Anaheim Stadium 11,930 [7]
1970 Lew Krausse Jr. L 0–12 California Angels Milwaukee County Stadium 36,107 [8]
1971 Marty Pattin (2) W 7–2 Minnesota Twins Metropolitan Stadium 18,823 [19]
1972 Bill Parsons W 5–1 Cleveland Indians Cleveland Stadium 22,831 [20]
1973 Jim Colborn L 0–10 Baltimore Orioles Memorial Stadium 26,543 [21]
1974 Jim Colborn (2) ND (L) 8–9 Boston Red Sox Milwaukee County Stadium 32,761 [22]
1975 Jim Slaton L 2–5 Boston Red Sox Fenway Park 34,055 [23]
1976 Jim Slaton (2) W 5–0 New York Yankees Milwaukee County Stadium 44,868 [24]
1977 Bill Travers L 0–3 New York Yankees Yankee Stadium 43,786 [25]
1978 Jerry Augustine W 11–3 Baltimore Orioles Milwaukee County Stadium 47,824 [26]
1979 Mike Caldwell W 5–1 New York Yankees Yankee Stadium 52,719 [27]
1980 Jim Slaton (3) ND (W) 9–5 Boston Red Sox Milwaukee County Stadium 53,313 [28]
1981* Mike Caldwell (2) W 5–3 Cleveland Indians Cleveland Stadium 71,067 [29]
1982** Pete Vuckovich W 15–4 Toronto Blue Jays Exhibition Stadium 30,216 [30]
1983 Don Sutton L 2–3 California Angels Anaheim Stadium 34,177 [31]
1984 Don Sutton (2) ND (L) 5–6 Oakland Athletics Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 45,398 [32]
1985 Moose Haas L 2–4 Chicago White Sox Milwaukee County Stadium 43,027 [33]
1986 Teddy Higuera L 3–5 Chicago White Sox Comiskey Park 42,265 [34]
1987 Teddy Higuera (2) W 5–1 Boston Red Sox Milwaukee County Stadium 52,585 [35]
1988 Teddy Higuera (3) W 12–0 Baltimore Orioles Memorial Stadium 52,395 [36]
1989 Don August L 1–2 Cleveland Indians Cleveland Stadium 40,618 [37]
1990 Chris Bosio L 1–2 Chicago White Sox Comiskey Park 40,008 [38]
1991 Mark Knudson W 5–4 Texas Rangers Arlington Stadium 40,560 [39]
1992 Bill Wegman ND (L) 2–4 Minnesota Twins Milwaukee County Stadium 52,470 [40]
1993 Bill Wegman (2) L 1–3 California Angels Anaheim Stadium 33,635 [41]
1994 Cal Eldred ND (L) 7–11 Oakland Athletics Milwaukee County Stadium 52,012 [42]
1995 Ricky Bones ND (W) 12–3 Chicago White Sox Milwaukee County Stadium 31,426 [43]
1996 Ricky Bones (2) ND (W) 15–9 California Angels Anaheim Stadium 27,836 [44]
1997 Ben McDonald L 5–6 Texas Rangers The Ballpark in Arlington 45,098 [45]
1998 Cal Eldred ND (L) 1–2 Atlanta Braves Turner Field 42,891 [46]
1999 Rafael Roque ND (W) 10–8 St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium 47,806 [47]
2000 Steve Woodard ND (Tie) 3–3 Cincinnati Reds Cinergy Field 55,596 [11]
2001 Jamey Wright L 0–1 Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium 53,154 [48]
2002 Ben Sheets W 9–3 Houston Astros Astros Field 42,262 [49]
2003 Ben Sheets (2) ND (L) 9–11 St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium 49,561 [50]
2004 Ben Sheets (3) ND (W) 6–5 St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium 49,149 [51]
2005 Ben Sheets (4) W 9–2 Pittsburgh Pirates PNC Park 38,016 [52]
2006 Doug Davis ND (W) 5–2 Pittsburgh Pirates Miller Park 45,023 [53]
2007 Ben Sheets (5) W 7–1 Los Angeles Dodgers Miller Park 45,341 [53]
2008* Ben Sheets (6) ND (W) 4–3 (10) Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 41,089 [9][54]
2009 Jeff Suppan L 6–10 San Francisco Giants AT&T Park 42,767 [6]
2010 Yovani Gallardo L 3–5 Colorado Rockies Miller Park 45,808 [10]
2011* Yovani Gallardo (2) ND (L) 6–7 Cincinnati Reds Great American Ballpark 42,398 [55]
2012 Yovani Gallardo (3) L 5–11 St. Louis Cardinals Miller Park 46,086 [56]
2013 Yovani Gallardo (4) ND (W) 5–4 Colorado Rockies Miller Park 45,781 [57]
2014 Yovani Gallardo (5) W 2–0 Atlanta Braves Miller Park 45,691 [58]
2015 Kyle Lohse L 0–10 Colorado Rockies Miller Park 46,032 [59]
2016 Wily Peralta L 3–12 San Francisco Giants Miller Park 44,318
2017 Junior Guerra ND (L) 5–7 Colorado Rockies Miller Park 43,336
2018 Chase Anderson ND (W) 2–1 San Diego Padres Petco Park 44,649
2019 Jhoulys Chacín W 5–4 St. Louis Cardinals Miller Park 45,304

Pitchers

Opening Day starting pitchers are listed in descending order by the number of Opening Day starts for the Pilots/Brewers.

Pitcher Starts Wins Losses No decisions Winning % Seasons
Ben Sheets 6 3 0 3 1.000 2002,[49] 2003,[50] 2004,[51] 2005,[52] 2007,[53] 2008[54]
Yovani Gallardo 5 1 2 2 0.200 2010,[10] 2011,[10] 2012,[56] 2013,[57] 2014[58]
Jim Slaton 3 1 1 1 0.500 1975,[23] 1976,[24] 1980[28]
Teddy Higuera 3 2 1 0 0.667 1986,[34] 1987,[35] 1988[36]
Marty Pattin 2 2 0 0 1.000 1969,[7] 1971[19]
Jim Colborn 2 0 1 1 0.000 1973,[21] 1974[22]
Mike Caldwell 2 2 0 0 1.000 1979,[27] 1981[29]
Don Sutton 2 0 1 1 0.000 1983,[31] 1984[32]
Bill Wegman 2 0 1 1 0.000 1992,[40] 1993[41]
Cal Eldred 2 0 0 2 0.000 1994,[42] 1998[46]
Ricky Bones 2 0 0 2 0.000 1995,[43] 1996[44]
Lew Krausse Jr. 1 0 1 0 0.000 1970[8]
Bill Parsons 1 1 0 0 1.000 1972[20]
Bill Travers 1 0 1 0 0.000 1977[25]
Jerry Augustine 1 1 0 0 1.000 1978[26]
Pete Vuckovich 1 1 0 0 1.000 1982[30]
Moose Haas 1 0 1 0 0.000 1985[33]
Don August 1 0 1 0 0.000 1989[37]
Chris Bosio 1 0 1 0 0.000 1990[38]
Mark Knudson 1 1 0 0 1.000 1991[39]
Ben McDonald 1 0 1 0 0.000 1997[45]
Rafael Roque 1 0 0 1 0.000 1999[47]
Steve Woodard 1 0 0 1 0.000 2000[11]
Jamey Wright 1 0 1 0 0.000 2001[48]
Doug Davis 1 0 0 1 0.000 2006[53]
Jeff Suppan 1 0 1 0 0.000 2009[6]
Kyle Lohse 1 0 1 0 0.000 2015[59]

References
  1. Bastian, Jordan (March 22, 2010). "Marcum tapped for Jays' Opening Day". MLB.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  2. Dilbeck, Steve (February 24, 2014). "Dodgers may not start Clayton Kershaw in Sydney". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  3. Brewers Ballparks, Major League Baseball. Accessed October 8, 2008.
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  9. McCalvy, Adam. "Sheets weathers rain in sparkling start", MLB.com, March 31, 2008. Accessed October 18, 2008. "Sheets remained 3-0 in Opening Day starts and lowered his ERA to 2.45 in those six games. He's been Milwaukee's Opening Day choice in six of the last seven seasons, making way for Doug Davis in 2006, when Sheets was working back slowly from a major back injury."
  10. "Colorado 5, Milwaukee 3". Yahoo!. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
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