Pat Murphy has a major call to make before Wednesday night, and he didn’t tip his hand after the Brewers’ 4-3 loss to the Padres in Game 3 of the NLDS.
Milwaukee’s low-key trade deadline approach has left the club leaning on the arms it already trusts, and the two biggest additions, Dustin May and JoJo Romero, didn’t exactly seize the moment in San Diego. May lasted only three innings, while Romero gave up the go-ahead homer to Jake Cronenworth in the fifth. That leaves Game 4 in Petco Park hanging on one simple question: who gets the ball?
According to Brewers reporter Sophia Minnaert, the names in the mix include left-hander Robert Gasser and right-hander Chad Patrick. Murphy, the two-time reigning NL Manager of the Year, didn’t reveal his plan after Tuesday’s loss.
Gasser’s case has grown stronger as the month has gone on. A former Padres prospect acquired by Milwaukee in the Josh Hader trade, he has become an important part of the pitching staff and has allowed just five runs in his last 27 innings of work. Not long ago, Kyle Harrison looked locked into a top-three postseason rotation spot, but an ugly summer has left his role in this series far less certain.
If Murphy wants to go with a straight starter, Gasser looks like the cleanest answer. If the Brewers prefer to get creative and use an opener, Patrick is also in play.
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ draft pick has put up a 3.47 ERA with 93 strikeouts in 57 appearances, and he was excellent in September until the final day of the regular season. In that last outing, he allowed four runs in 1/3 of an inning against the St.
Louis Cardinals, and he has not pitched since.
Milwaukee still has every reason to feel good about the season it has built, but the last three games have shown there’s work to do. Murphy’s choice on the mound could decide whether this series ends in San Diego or heads back to American Family Field.
First pitch is set for 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
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William Contreras Just Put Brewers Fans On Notice About His Future
William Contreras has spent the NLDS reminding everyone why he has become such an important piece of the Brewers lineup, delivering big home runs in Games 1 and 3 against the Padres while continuing the steady work that has made him a fixture in Milwaukee since arriving in 2022. Durability has been part of the appeal, too, with Contreras topping 140 games in each season he has worn a Brewers uniform, giving the club a middle-of-the-order bat it can trust through the grind of a long year.
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Brewers Just Got A Game 3 Opening Padres Fans Hate
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Nick Pivetta gets the ball for San Diego in a must-win game, his second postseason start since returning from injury. For Milwaukee, the tweak adds another layer to a night already shaped by urgency, with the Brewers needing only to stay steady against a Padres team that has had to adjust on the fly just to keep its lineup intact. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Face One Huge Game 4 Decision With Season On Line
The Brewers left themselves with no margin for error after a 4-3 loss to the Padres in Game 3 of the National League Division Series, a defeat that pushed the series into a must-hold Game 4. San Diego has already lined up right-hander Walker Buehler for the next start, bringing in a pitcher who has not worked this postseason but does arrive with plenty of October experience.
Pat Murphy has not yet settled on his own starter, and the choice looms as the kind of decision that can shape everything for Milwaukees season. The manager said the call will come after more discussion with his staff, leaving the Brewers with one of those familiar postseason dilemmas: trust a plan, chase a matchup, and hope the answer is the right one before the series slips away. [Read more 🡒]