On a cold October night in Milwaukee, a team that had carried its city's hopes through a run of nearly flawless baseball reached the edge of its first championship and then watched it slip, as the familiar logic of a manager's trusted choices turned against him in the twelfth inning. Pat Murphy, whose calls had rewarded him all month, kept his best arm in reserve and reached for a rarely used reliever, a decision that seemed prudent on paper and proved costly on the field. The Brewers now face Game 5 with a 3-2 series deficit to erase, or rather a 3-1 lead to protect, and the question of wheth
Brewers Manager Pat Murphy's Bullpen Call in World Series Game 4 Stirs Second-Guessing
Instead of a parade this weekend, the Brewers are going to Game 5.
Mark
Milwaukee was up 3-0 and three outs from a title. Why is this one decision getting so much attention?
Mimi
Because the cost was so concrete. Murphy held Misiorowski back, brought in Shane Drohan, and four batters later the game was over. The Brewers had to play on instead of celebrating.
Mark
How rusty was Drohan?
Mimi
He hadn't pitched since Oct. 15 and had appeared in a competitive game once in a month. That's the detail critics keep returning to.
Luke
Worth flagging that this is an opinion column. The facts of the inning are solid, but the claim that Murphy erred is the author's judgment, made with the outcome known.
Mark
Murphy did explain himself, didn't he?
Mimi
Per beat reporter Curt Hogg, he didn't want to use Misiorowski in a one-run extra-innings game with a 3-0 lead. Misiorowski was also lined up to start Game 5.
Luke
And the bullpen was thin. Ashby, Megill, Hall, Uribe and Romero had all pitched. The column concedes any reliever would likely have gotten those outs. An error and a bouncing grounder helped Tampa too.
Mark
So what's at stake now?
Mimi
Game 5 with Misiorowski, and a bullpen that may lack Ashby, whose velocity dipped late.
Luke
Whether that matters is unknown. The column calls Milwaukee overwhelming favorites, and nothing in it shows Ashby is actually out.
Le Pouls
- Milwaukee was three outs from a championship at 3-0 in the World Series, and then the bottom of the 12th inning unraveled in a matter of minutes.
- Manager Pat Murphy turned to reliever Shane Drohan, who had barely pitched in weeks, while ace Jacob Misiorowski sat unused in the bullpen.
- Four consecutive hits and an error turned a lead into a loss, and the Brewers' hottest run of the season ended with a bounce over first base.
- Murphy insists he protected his ace for Game 5, but critics argue that winning Game 4 made that reserve unnecessary.
- With high-leverage relievers spent and Ashby's velocity fading, Milwaukee's path forward runs straight through Misiorowski and a bullpen that may not hold.
On a cold October night in Milwaukee, a team that had carried its city's hopes through a run of nearly flawless baseball reached the edge of its first championship and then watched it slip, as the familiar logic of a manager's trusted choices turned against him in the twelfth inning. Pat Murphy, whose calls had rewarded him all month, kept his best arm in reserve and reached for a rarely used reliever, a decision that seemed prudent on paper and proved costly on the field. The Brewers now face Game 5 with a 3-2 series deficit to erase, or rather a 3-1 lead to protect, and the question of whether a deep bet on a single ace can outweigh the weariness of a tired bullpen.
For most of this October, Pat Murphy's decisions kept working. Then, with three outs between the Brewers and their first championship, one of them didn't, and Game 4 of the World Series slipped away in the bottom of the 12th inning on Tuesday night.
Milwaukee had arrived at that moment on an extraordinary run, winning eight straight playoff games and leading the series 3-0. Its success had seemed to reward every instinct Murphy followed: a light-hitting utility infielder homering off a closer, a rookie shortstop delivering in the clutch, a reliever posting historic scoreless innings. Game 4 followed the same pattern until extra innings, when Cooper Pratt's homer put Milwaukee ahead.
The bottom of the 12th came apart fast. After an error, Murphy called on Shane Drohan, a little-used reliever who had not pitched in a meaningful game in weeks. Three straight singles followed, a ground ball took a bad bounce, and the game was over.
Murphy had kept ace Jacob Misiorowski in reserve, saying he did not want to burn his starter in a one-run extra-inning game while holding a commanding series lead. "I trust our guys," he said. "They put themselves in a position to win." A Fox News column argued the logic was backward: winning Game 4 would have meant no need for Game 5 planning, and the best pitcher in the game was sitting available.
The Brewers remain favored, with Misiorowski scheduled to start Game 5. But the high-leverage relievers have been used, and Ashby may be unavailable after his velocity dipped late. If the bullpen falters again, the series returns home for Game 6, and Tampa's chances look more real.
For most of this October, Pat Murphy's decisions kept working. Then, with three outs standing between the Milwaukee Brewers and their first championship, one of them didn't, and Game 4 of the World Series slipped away in the bottom of the 12th inning on Tuesday night.
The Brewers arrived at that inning having won eight straight playoff games against the San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays. They were the hottest team in baseball over the second half of the season, a 100-win club facing the best team in the American League, which won 98. They led the series 3-0.
The run had a way of rewarding Murphy's choices. Utility infielder David Hamilton, a light hitter, homered off Edwin Diaz in the ninth inning of the clinching Game 4 of the NLCS. Sal Frelick was perfectly positioned to run down a 106 mph line drive from Freddie Freeman. Reliever Aaron Ashby opened the postseason with 18 scoreless innings, a new baseball record. Starter Robert Gasser, an average-to-below-average pitcher who rarely draws swings and misses, allowed one run in 15 innings.
Game 4 of the World Series followed the same script. Hamilton, who hit just four home runs in the regular season, tied the score at two with another. Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt then homered in the top of the 12th to put Milwaukee ahead.
The bottom of the inning unraveled quickly. Antonio Senzatela started it on the mound, and Junior Caminero reached on an error. Murphy then went to Shane Drohan, a little-used reliever who hadn't pitched since Oct. 15, when he gave up a run to the Dodgers in the NLCS, and who had appeared in a competitive game just once in the past month. Liam Hicks singled, sending Caminero to third. Jonny DeLuca singled to center to tie it. Chandler Simpson singled to load the bases. Ben Williamson ended it with a ground ball to the right side that took a big bounce over first base and into the outfield.
Murphy's options were limited on paper. Ashby had gone more than two innings. Trevor Megill had been used for one out. DL Hall, Abner Uribe and JoJo Romero had all pitched. But one option remained: Jacob Misiorowski, the likely NL Cy Young Award winner, who was scheduled to start Game 5 on Wednesday.
According to Brewers beat reporter Curt Hogg, Murphy said he did not want to burn Misiorowski in a one-run extra-inning game while Milwaukee held a 3-0 series lead. Looking ahead, Murphy said it is now "all hands on deck." He added: "You can write it up and hope that they perform like the back of their baseball card, but that doesn't always happen. You go with what you believe is the deal. I trust our guys. I trust them. They put themselves in a position to win."
The Fox News column, an opinion piece, argues the logic cuts the other way: winning Game 4 means no Game 5 to worry about. It frames the choice as two schools of thought. Almost any reliever has a high chance of getting three outs against Hicks, DeLuca and Simpson. But with the best pitcher in the game available and a title in reach, the author contends, rest and injury risk matter little. Instead of planning a parade in downtown Milwaukee this weekend, the Brewers are headed to Game 5.
They remain heavy favorites, especially with Misiorowski starting. But the high-leverage relievers have been spent, and Ashby's velocity dipped late in his outing, so he may not be available. If the bullpen falters again, the series goes back home for a Game 6, and Tampa's chances begin to look more plausible.
Citations marquantes
Yeah, it's all hands on deck. I trust our guys. I trust them. They put themselves in a position to win.— Pat Murphy, Brewers manager
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