Pat Murphy wasn’t about to empty the tank in a one-run, extra-inning game with the Brewers holding a 3-0 World Series lead.
That was the thinking behind Milwaukee’s decision to stick with Shane Drohan in Game 4 even as the outing unraveled in the bottom of the 12th, according to Curt Hogg of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Brewers had just watched Cooper Pratt homer in the top of the inning, a blast that looked like it might seal the game. But the Tampa Bay Rays answered fast, and once Junior Caminero reached on an error to open the bottom half, the inning shifted for good.
Tampa Bay piled up four straight hits against Drohan and flipped the game completely, with Ben Williamson ending it on a bloop single to right field for a 4-3 walk-off win.
The obvious question afterward was why Milwaukee didn’t turn to anyone else, even Jacob Misiorowski, who could be lined up to start Game 5. Murphy’s answer, per the report, was simple: there was no reason to burn his ace in that spot when the Brewers were still in command of the series.
At the time, Milwaukee was ahead 3-0, so the loss didn’t put its World Series hopes on the brink. Even after missing a chance to sweep, the Brewers still had at least three more chances to finish the job.
Keeping Misiorowski fresh for Game 5 made sense as the cleanest path forward. The 24-year-old ace represents Milwaukee’s best shot at closing things out on the road, and using him in relief in Game 4 would have carried unnecessary risk.
The Brewers didn’t need to throw everything they had at the Rays just yet. Tampa Bay did. And if this series somehow turns into a massive collapse, Murphy’s choice in Game 4 is the kind of decision that would get picked apart for a long time.
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