Misiorowski makes history again, but says, "I was just throwing it into Sánchez's glove."

Jacob Misiorowski was completely unaware. Cooper Pratt only realized something was off in the fourth inning. The Colorado Rockies batters, however, were fully aware from the start.

One by one they stepped into the batter's box, watched Misiorowski fire 100-mph fastballs, and trudged back to the dugout alone. "I looked up and saw everyone had zeros," Pratt said. "I thought, 'Man, he's probably striking out everybody.'"

That was essentially the case. Misiorowski struck out 12 of the first 13 batters he faced and retired the first 14 in order. In the Milwaukee Brewers' 11-2 blowout of the Rockies, he threw five innings of historic dominance. The right-hander allowed just one hit and one run, walked none, and threw 59 of 83 pitches for strikes. The Brewers won the series and finished the homestand with a 7-2 record.

What was most impressive wasn't just how hard Misiorowski threw, but that the Rockies knew what was coming and still couldn't do anything. Manager Pat Murphy said, "When he's dotting the top of the zone, it's really tough. His extension, his command of the fastball, plus his secondary stuff, it all makes him that much harder to hit."

But today Misiorowski barely needed his secondary pitches. He threw 66 four-seam fastballs, accounting for 80 percent of his total pitches. More importantly, every one of those fastballs clocked at least 100 mph, setting a new record in the pitch-tracking era, breaking his own mark of 58 set on June 12 against the Phillies.

Misiorowski and catcher Gary Sánchez hadn't planned to rely so heavily on the fastball, but it quickly became the obvious choice. "You see them swinging at the top of the zone, and we're like, 'Alright, let's keep going,'" Misiorowski said. "Until they actually hit it." And they did hit it eventually, but only after a relentless avalanche of strikeouts.

Misiorowski struck out batters in bunches over the first two innings, with his fastball peaking at 104.7 mph and never dropping below 102.9 mph early on. When he fanned his seventh consecutive batter, he set a Brewers franchise record, surpassing Quinn Priester's six straight strikeouts to start a game last September. By the end of the fourth inning, Misiorowski had struck out 11 of the first 12 batters he faced, becoming the first pitcher since the divisional era began in 1969 to record 11 strikeouts with no hits allowed through the first four innings of a game.

Pratt enjoyed the show from shortstop: "It made my job way too easy. I just run back to the dugout, then run back out. A little cardio, that's all." In the fifth inning, after retiring the first two batters, Misiorowski finally gave up a 101.9-mph fastball that Cole Carrigg drove just over the left-field wall. The opposite-field home run ended his perfect game, no-hitter, and shutout all at once.

When asked if he had thought about a perfect game, Misiorowski was remarkably calm: "No, I was only worried about the next hitter. Anything can happen on the field. You don't think about that." The fifth inning was also his only tough frame. After the homer, he hit a batter and used 30 pitches in that inning after throwing just 53 through the first four. Murphy pulled him promptly, continuing to manage the 24-year-old ace's workload carefully.

Last Tuesday, Misiorowski made his first start since July 7, with a strict limit of four innings and 65 pitches. In that game, his mechanics and lower-body drive deteriorated late, but there were no such concerns this time. "I felt much better today," Misiorowski said. "I think my lower half was more stable. Most of my velocity comes from my legs, so when everything is in sync, it's a lot easier to pitch."

Murphy said he could have continued if not for the high pitch count in the fifth. Though the Brewers will still monitor his workload over the final two months of the season, the contending team can clearly see their ace coming out of the midseason adjustment period in top form.

Milwaukee's offense eventually turned a close game into a rout, tying a franchise record with nine doubles and pushing their record to a season-high 27 games over .500. But this day belonged to Misiorowski. It was his ninth game this season and the 11th of his young career with at least 10 strikeouts. And this time, there was no mysterious "focus area" to explain—he didn't even realize he was making history. "I had no idea," Misiorowski said. "I was just throwing it into Gary's glove."