MILWAUKEE — The Brewers Home Opener drew a huge crowd of excited fans to see the Brew Crew take on the New York Mets. It was on a Monday afternoon, though. That means that many of the fans were ditching work to watch the game.
I set out to expose the people who called in sick. Not because I want to be a tattle-tale, but in a fun light-hearted way. Surprisingly, people weren't afraid to tell me that they faked sick.
The main question I asked people was: Where does your boss think you are? Here are some of those answers.
"Probably working," one fan said. They weren't working.
“I’m not sure where he thinks we are," another fan said. At least he was honest.
“He thinks I’m sick," a fan said. When that same fan was asked what he would say to his boss if they saw this story, he answered, “All of a sudden I feel better, and now I’m here.” It's a bold strategy.
While there were fans who called in sick, many of the people I spoke to had this day off planned for months. They went through the proper procedures to get their paid time off request approved.
"Yeah, I've been to 25 of the last 26 (games)," a dedicated fan said.
That was the case for many of the die-hards who showed up to the Home Opener. This is a tradition that can't be stopped by a few work requirements.
"Even though it was a mandatory in office work day," another fan's boss was cool with her taking the day off.
These fans have seen it all. Rain, sleet, or snow, they wouldn't ever miss this game. Last year the bitter cold and 30+ mile per hour winds didn't stop fans either.
Parents even took their kids out of school, so they could come to the game.
"I said I’m going to a Brewer game because it’s kind of a tradition to go to opening day," one young fan said.
Doing all that makeup homework is worth it to these fans.
“I’m in a lot of hard classes so I don’t think they’ll be happy, but I get to see the Brewer game today so that’s good," another fan said.
In the end, the ditch day was a great success because the Brewers bashed the Mets 10-0.
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Rookie Brice Turang hit a grand slam for his first major league home run, capping a seven-run fifth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers opened their home schedule by routing the New York Mets 10-0 on Monday.
Brian Anderson also homered and Freddy Peralta pitched six innings of two-hit ball as the Brewers won their third straight. This marked Milwaukee's first shutout victory in a home opener since a 2-0 triumph over Atlanta in 2014.
Shut out in their first 16 innings this season, the Brewers have scored 22 runs in their last 20 innings.
The day started poorly for the Mets when Carlos Carrasco received a pitch-clock violation before throwing his first pitch. That set the tone for the rest of an afternoon in which they compiled more clock violations (four) than hits (three). New York has lost 14 of its last 17 games at Milwaukee.
Carrasco allowed a two-out RBI single to Jesse Winker in the third, gave up a two-run homer to Brian Anderson in the fourth — Milwaukee's first home run this season — and left after walking Christian Yelich and Jesse Winker starting the fifth.
Carrasco's fastball velocity dropped from an average of 92.1 mph in the first inning to 89.9 mph in the fifth.
The Brewers poured it on from there.
Tommy Hunter replaced Carrasco and promptly allowed an RBI single to Willy Adames before walking Rowdy Tellez. After Winker came home when William Contreras grounded out, Carrasco walked Garrett Mitchell to load the bases.
Anderson singled home Adames, then Turang ripped an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right-center for a 417-foot blast extending Milwaukee’s lead to 10-0. Turang pumped his fist as he rounded first and raised his arms aloft as he headed to second.
Turang joined Bill Spiers (1989), Tim Unroe (1997) and Shaun Marcum (2011) as the only Brewers to hit grand slams for their first homers.
That was more than enough for Peralta, who walked two of the first three batters he faced before settling down to hold the Mets scoreless. Peralta struck out seven and allowed three walks.
Bryse Wilson worked the final three innings and gave up just one hit to earn his second career save.
Milwaukee pitchers walked eight and the Mets six; the only pitcher without a walk was New York's Luis Guillorme — normally an infielder — who pitched a one-hit eighth.
Turang, one of three rookies in the starting lineup, has gone 5 of 10 with five RBIs through the Brewers' first four games.
Turang is the Brewers’ new starting second baseman now that they’ve traded Kolten Wong to Seattle in a deal that brought Winker to Milwaukee. Winker opened the scoring with an RBI single in the third and also has drive in five runs already.
Anderson, who signed with the Brewers in the offseason after spending six seasons with the Miami Marlins, went 2 of 3 with three RBIs on Monday.
PITCHCOM CONCERNS
There was a brief stoppage of play in the bottom of the first inning when Carrasco had an apparent issue with his PitchCom device.
PitchCom allows catchers to push buttons on wristbands to call for fastballs, curves, changeups and anything else, along with the location. The pitcher can hear the result on an earpiece inside his hat.
METS RELEASE RUF
The Mets released first baseman/outfielder Darin Ruf and owet his $3 million salary for 2023 and his $250,000 buyout that was part of a 2024 club option. Any team can sign Ruf for the pro-rated share of the $720,000 minimum.
Ruf, 36, batted. 204 with a .307 on-base percentage, 11 homers and 45 RBIs in a combined 118 games for the Mets and San Francisco Giants last season.
UP NEXT
RHP Max Scherzer (1-0, 4.50 ERA) pitches for the Mets and LHP Wade Miley makes his season debut for the Brewers as this three-game series continues Tuesday night.
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