Milwaukee’s path to the NLDS finish line got a lot less comfortable on Tuesday night, and Brice Turang sits right in the middle of the conversation heading into Game 4.
The Brewers had already taken Games 1 and 2 and were trying to close out the San Diego Padres in Game 3. Instead, San Diego held on for a 4-3 win and pushed the series deeper, leaving Milwaukee with a one-game edge and another trip to San Diego still to come.
Win Wednesday, and the Brewers move on. Lose, and it’s back to Milwaukee for a winner-take-all Game 5.
That backdrop matters even more because the Padres are expected to have both Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon available for Game 4, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. San Diego won Tuesday without either of its top relief arms, so the Brewers may be staring at an even tougher finish than the one they just missed.
Milwaukee’s biggest issue, though, is that Turang hasn’t looked like the same force he was during the regular season. Through three games, he is just 1-for-11 with two walks and three strikeouts. For a Brewers offense that needs every bit of juice it can find, that’s a problem.
The team clearly noticed. On Tuesday, Milwaukee moved Turang into the cleanup spot, a role he had filled only twice in his career before Game 3. That’s the kind of lineup shakeup that tells you the club is searching for a spark.
And there’s no mystery about what Turang can bring when he’s rolling. He blasted 21 home runs, drove in 100 runs and hit 37 doubles in the regular season, while finishing with 7.3 wins above replacement to lead the club.
Jacob Misiorowski was next at 6.5. When Turang is right, Milwaukee’s lineup looks different - deeper, more dangerous, harder to navigate.
The Brewers also have the road numbers working against them. They’ve lost 12 straight road playoff games, with one more coming Wednesday night. That only raises the pressure on a lineup that could use a lift from one of its most important bats.
There is at least a little history to lean on. Turang is 1-for-4 in his career against Walker Buehler, with a triple, an RBI and a walk. Buehler will start for San Diego in Game 4 as the Padres try to force the series back to Milwaukee.
For the Brewers, the formula is pretty simple now: get Turang going, and the offense has a chance to breathe. Leave him quiet, and this series gets a lot more precarious.
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