Woodruff recorded 10 of his 13 outs via strikeouts in a homecoming two years in the making, entering and exiting to standing ovations from 35,015 fans who were back on their feet in the bottom of the ninth inning to see the Brewers score three runs for a walk-off 6-5 win over the Nationals at American Family Field.
Brewers newcomer Andrew Vaughn was in the middle of it all once again, making it five straight games with an RBI since his callup to Milwaukee. He hit a go-ahead two-run double in the fourth inning and a tying two-run double in the ninth before Caleb Durbin’s winning single gave the Brewers their sixth consecutive victory and second walk-off during what has been a wild week.
It began with Woodruff’s comeback on Sunday in Miami and continued with a sweep of the Dodgers, All-Star invitations for the twin towers of the pitching staff and now a chance to complete a sweep of the Nationals going into the break.
“Driving in and seeing everybody already starting to tailgate early, it speaks to how we’re playing as a team,” Woodruff said. “This place was going to be fun. It was going to be loud.”
It was loud from the moment Woodruff jogged to the mound at home for the first time since Sept. 17, 2023 – coincidentally, against the Nationals. Teammates lingered in the dugout so the franchise’s longest-tenured player could have the field to himself for a few moments.
“It’s just awesome to have him back,” said Christian Yelich, part of Milwaukee’s longtime triumvirate with Woodruff and pitcher Freddy Peralta. “One of the best competitors I’ve ever played behind. Over the last eight years, if I could pick anybody to start a big game for us, I’d pick Big Woo, hands down.”
Woodruff had to compete all afternoon, because he wasn’t nearly as crisp as his electric return to the rotation six days earlier while touching 95.7 mph on the radar gun and completing six innings. Back home against the Nationals, he surrendered a pair of two-out solo homers amid five hits in 4 1/3 innings, with no walks and at least one strikeout in each of his five innings on the mound before departing with one out and a 3-2 lead.
In all, Woodruff threw 57 of 81 pitches for strikes and topped out at 93.9 mph.
“I think today was more anticipation for him than even Miami,” said Woodruff’s wife, Jonie, during the Brewers’ telecast. “He was so happy being in front of the fans.”
The fans followed every step of the long road back from a shoulder injury that struck on the eve of the 2023 postseason, when Woodruff vowed through tears that he would make it back to the mound in Milwaukee. Agent Bo McKinniss – who was on hand Saturday – and Brewers GM Matt Arnold worked out a two-year contract that gave Woodruff a chance to rehab back to health, only to see his return twice delayed by freak injuries in what was supposed to be his final Minor League start.
“Our son just turned 1, and [Brandon] didn’t come to the field the day he was born, but he was here the next day,” Jonie Woodruff told FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin’s Sophia Minnaert. “I told him to go because I know it means so much to him. Christmas morning, he’s doing the work. Every day for two years, and that’s a long time before you see any payoff for it.”
It was worth all the work. When Woodruff struck out Nationals catcher Riley Adams leading off the fifth inning, it cemented the right-hander’s 20th career start with double-digit strikeouts, second in Brewers history to Corbin Burnes’ 23.
“I tricked them a little bit, I guess,” Woodruff said. “The velocity will come, and believe me, I pay attention to it here because the radar gun is right in front of your face. You can’t not see it. Honestly, doing what I did in the Minor Leagues and having to pitch with lower velocities has really helped me here.”
With Woodruff in the clubhouse getting treatment, Nationals rookie third baseman Brady House threatened to play spoiler by hitting his second home run of the day, a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth off Abner Uribe. The Brewers were in a 5-3 hole going into the bottom of the ninth.
But just like Wednesday against the Dodgers, they staged a come-from-behind walk-off with too many contributions to count, from Jackson Chourio putting Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan on the defensive with a leadoff single, to Yelich walking and scoring all the way from first on Vaughn’s second two-run double of the day, to pinch-runner Andruw Monasterio alertly taking third base on a groundout to House. That changed everything, because it brought Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in a few steps with only one out, and allowed Durbin to line the winning hit over Lowe’s head.
“There wasn’t a player in the dugout who didn’t believe,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “That’s the great thing about having the right people.”
Woodruff has long been one of those people. In Miami, the atmosphere was such that he could hear Jonie and their two young children behind the dugout. In Milwaukee, their cheers blended in with so many others.
“I took it all in, and you really appreciate the love that you get,” Woodruff said. “You don’t take that for granted.”
