Brandon Sproat sent to minors following ninth-inning struggles

The Milwaukee Brewers have sent pitcher Brandon Sproat back to Triple-A Nashville following a difficult ninth-inning performance during an 8-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.

After pitching a scoreless eighth inning, Sproat returned for the ninth with the Brewers holding an 8-1 lead. However, he struggled significantly, walking four of the five batters he faced and committing both a throwing error and a wild pitch. The Cubs scored four runs during the inning, bringing the potential tying run to the plate before Abner Uribe secured the final two outs.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy described the performance as ‘unacceptable,’ noting the necessity for major league pitchers to throw strikes. Sproat, who had been called up on Monday to test his transition to a bullpen role, currently holds a 3-7 record with a 5.57 ERA across 22 appearances.