SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – It may just be spring training, but Blake Burke couldn’t feel his legs as he walked to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning at Scottsdale Stadium.
No, it wasn’t a potential walk-off situation. His team wasn’t even close to winning, for that matter. But for a young prospect trying to impress the big-league coaches, not only was he the Milwaukee Brewers’ final hope to avoid being no-hit but he was also doing so with his former college coach managing in the other dugout.
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“That was the first time I’ve been nervous at the plate for a while,” Burke said. “…Big crowd, too. Toward the end they started to get fired up. Being up at the plate right here, facing a no-hitter, that’s kind of why you play. You get the energy, you get a little nervous. It’s good to get reps like that because you don’t get much of that before the season starts.”
Burke somewhat salvaged the day, smacking an RBI double down the right-field line to break up both the no-no and shutout.
“Anytime you’re over here you want to show out,” Burke said. “That’s what I try to do every day, even when I’m on the backfields. It’s pretty fun to get in front of [the major-league team] and show how you compete, show how you play. They don’t see you a ton. When I get these opportunities I try to make the most of them.”
Still, this was not the Brewers’ finest Cactus League hour. Before Burke strode to the plate with some butterflies in his stomach, Milwaukee hitters had gone 26 up, 26 down. Cooper Pratt, another prospect, was the last chance to avoid a rare spring perfect game – it would have been the first one since March 14, 2000, when the Red Sox did it in a game started by Pedro Martinez – and drew a walk against Giants reliever Gregory Santos.
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San Francisco starter Robbie Ray set the tone, retiring all 15 batters he faced before departing and handing it over to Carson Seymour, Tristan Beck and Matt Gage, who got the Giants through the eighth unblemished.
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Blake Burke waits his turn in the batting cage during spring training on February 15, 2025, at the American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
It wasn’t like the Brewers were rolling out your standard weekend road game spring lineup, either. Of their nine starters, seven are expected to be on the opening day roster, including Christian Yelich.
Manager Pat Murphy responded to the Cactus clunker in a way only he can.
“It’s important you don’t peak too soon,” he deadpanned. “It’s important you don’t peak too soon.”
Murphy paused.
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“They say it’s a bad thing to peak too soon.”
Lousy lumber showing aside, the afternoon did provide a memorable moment for Burke.
The Brewers’ 34th overall pick in the 2024 draft, he played for Giants first-year manager Tony Vitello at the University of Tennessee. The two, who were in opposing dugouts for the first time ever, helped lead the Volunteers to the national championship in 2024.
“He was a big reason why [we won],” Vitello said. “His reaction, if you watch the last pitch, was pretty special. It’s pretty sincere, and you can’t react like that unless you have a big heart and your heart is in the program.
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“He was a fun one, but not today.”
Quotable
“Keep your eye on Kuehner. Keep your eye on him. You heard it here.” – Murphy on pitching prospect Tate Kuehner, who the skipper labeled as his “pick to click”
Brewers spring training schedule
Brewers at Dodgers 3:05 p.m. Monday: Milwaukee RHP Chad Patrick vs. Los Angeles TBA. Radio – 620 WTMJ.
Off-day Tuesday.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson (43) throws against a wall during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson (43) throws against a wall during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick talks with teammates during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (49) talks with Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Ryan Birchard during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitchers Trevor Megill, left, and pitcher Abner Uribe talk in the dugout during spring training workouts Saturday, February 14, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infielder Brice Turang throws to first during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers players warm up in the outfield during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Sammy Peralta (57) throws in the bullpen during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio skips as part of his warmup during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras hits in the batting cage during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infielder Joey Ortiz (3) throws to second base during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (22) walks off the field between drills during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infielder/outfielder Jett Williams rounds third base during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infielder Luis Rengifo (13) fields a chopper during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) throws in the outfield during spring training workouts Saturday, February 14, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infielder Jesús Made fields a ground ball during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infeilder/outfielder Greg Jones stands in the batting cage during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infielder David Hamilton fields a grounder during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill catches a ball during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Coleman Crow (72) stretches during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick runs the bases during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe fields a ball during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn plays catch during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Sproat (23) stretches during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infielder Luis Rengifo, right, talks with Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infielder Brice Turang (2) stenches with a group of players during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski tosses a football during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Luis Pena takes a throw in a double-play drill during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe (45) watches from the dugout during spring training workouts Saturday, February 14, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez talks with teammates in the bullpen during spring training workouts Saturday, February 14, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio hits in the batting cage during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Brewers third base prospect Andrew Fischer throws to first base spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Chad Patrick (39) comes off the field during spring training workouts Saturday, February 14, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Milwaukee Brewers infield prospects Brady Ebel, left, and Josh Adamczewski talk during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giants nearly throw perfect game against Brewers in spring training