The Brewers head into Game 4 with one clear advantage: their bullpen is lined up, rested, and ready to shorten the night again.
After Monday’s blowout win in Game 3, Pat Murphy didn’t need to dip into Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe or Trevor Megill. That matters.
A whole week off between the NLCS sweep of the Dodgers and the World Series, plus another easy win, has left those three in excellent shape for Tuesday night. Over the last 14 days, none of them has thrown even 100 competitive pitches: Ashby has 87, Uribe 67 and Megill 38.
That freshness is a huge shift from where the Brewers spent much of the season. Ashby and Uribe were leaned on heavily for long stretches, and both have logged major postseason mileage over the last two years.
Ashby’s 19 1/3 innings in the playoffs over that span lead the league, while Uribe’s 15 innings are second. But Milwaukee’s early-round success has taken the edge off that workload.
Ashby has made eight appearances and faced 53 batters over the last month, with only July featuring a comparable regular-season workload. Uribe has pitched nine times but faced just 40 batters.
Megill’s October line - six appearances and 26 batters faced - sits well below his usual monthly usage.
Murphy still won’t empty the tank. With Game 5 looming if needed, there’s no reason to run any of those arms into the ground on Tuesday.
But the Brewers don’t need the trio to cover the whole game. The more likely plan is to let them handle the back half while other arms get Milwaukee through the early innings.
Monday’s six innings from Robert Gasser changed the shape of the staff picture, too. Antonio Senzatela covered two innings and Brandon Woodruff handled one, which makes both of them unlikely options for Game 4 unless the night runs long. That leaves Murphy with a different group to start things off.
Shane Drohan looks like the opener. The Rays have been a lineup puzzle throughout this series, and Milwaukee can use that to its advantage by starting with another left-hander.
Drohan has the kind of mix and background that could work as a starter, but this spot feels designed for him to bridge the first few outs rather than carry the game. He gives the Brewers a shot at Yandy Díaz early, and if Kevin Cash doesn’t move Junior Caminero back to third in the order, Milwaukee could avoid that matchup altogether.
JoJo Romero appears to be the next arm in line if the Rays try to protect their order with right-handed bats. His stuff has played up in October, and Murphy has trusted him in meaningful spots. But if Tampa Bay uses Victor Mesa Jr. and Richie Palacios in the middle to disrupt Milwaukee’s plan, the Brewers can simply pivot to Romero and keep moving.
Dustin May should be part of that early sequence too, though the Brewers would prefer not to throw him into the top of the order. If he gets that look again, it could mean Jonathan Aranda and Liam Hicks along with Díaz and Caminero - a tough stretch, especially with some of those hitters already familiar with him. May is better suited to the lower half of the lineup, and if the Rays respond to Drohan by stacking more right-handed bats up top, he becomes a more flexible option sooner.
Taken together, Drohan, Romero and May look like the first wave, likely covering the opening 15 batters or so in some order. After that, Milwaukee can turn to DL Hall.
Hall has stayed in a valuable medium-leverage lane for the Brewers, and that role should continue here. He’s the bridge man, the one who can keep the game in shape long enough to hand it off to the group Murphy trusts most. The mission is simple: get to the late innings with a lead, a tie, or at least a game still within reach of the finish line.
And those late innings are where the Brewers can really tighten their grip. Ashby, Uribe and Megill are rested enough to matter, and Murphy has enough depth to choose his path to the 27th out.
It’s not about one perfect formula. It’s about having options, and Milwaukee has plenty of them.
That depth also says a lot about how the Brewers built this team. Hall came over in the Corbin Burnes deal with Baltimore.
Drohan was part of the Caleb Durbin challenge trade with the Red Sox, a deal that has already paid off in more than one way for Milwaukee. Romero and May arrived together at the deadline.
If those pieces help push the Brewers to the brink of a title, it will fit the way this team has operated all year: aggressive, creative and willing to keep betting on trades to build a contender.
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