Cary-Grove graduate Quinn Priester shines in Brewers debut

Fox Valley Conference baseball was well represented Thursday afternoon at Coors Field in Colorado.

Cary-Grove graduate Quinn Priester made his debut with the Milwaukee Brewers, who acquired him in a trade with the Boston Red Sox on Monday, and the 6-foot-3 right-hander faced a Rockies lineup that featured fellow FVC product Nick Martini, a Prairie Ridge graduate.

Priester had an inauspicious start to the game, as he allowed a home run to the first batter he faced, Brenton Doyle, but then didn’t allow another run. Priester pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out four. He picked up a no-decision, leaving the game with the score tied 1-1.

The Rockies won 7-2, scoring one run in the seventh and five in the eighth.

Priester graduated from Cary-Grove in 2019 and was drafted 18th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates that same year. He pitched in parts of two seasons with the Pirates before they dealt him to the Red Sox at the trade deadline last July.

He started the Red Sox’s season finale against the Tampa Bay Rays and allowed one run and four hits in five innings with two strikeouts.

On Thursday, Priester faced Martini (Prairie Ridge Class of 2008) twice. Martini, who was batting fifth and serving as the Rockies’ designated hitter, hit into a force play to end the bottom of the first. He then lined out to right fielder Jackson Chourio to end the third.

Martini, an outfielder who’s playing for his fifth major league team, finished 0 for 2. He is hitting .318 in 22 at-bats this season.

Priester could make his next start early next week against the Detroit Tigers in Milwaukee. Thursday marked his 16th major league start and 22nd appearance.