The Milwaukee Brewers just drew first blood in their NLCS rematch against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pulling off a wild 2-1 win in Game 1 on Sunday night at American Family Field. What’s crazy is they did it with their ace, Jacob Misiorowski, having an unexpectedly short night on the mound. It blew me away how the Brewers snatched that victory even with Misiorowski lasting only 4 1/3 innings, giving up one run on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts on 94 pitches. This series already feels like it is going to be a slugfest.
Brewers Bullpen Proves Jeter Right in Game 1
Seriously, when Misiorowski clocked out so early, I figured the Brewers were done. Derek Jeter even admitted he would have expected Milwaukee to lose if you told him before the game that Misiorowski wouldn’t even finish the fifth. But man, their bullpen stepped up HUGE. DL Hall, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, and Trevor Megill combined for a staggering 4 2/3 scoreless innings, with Megill battling through two walks in the ninth to seal the save. Jeter was right there on FS1 after the game, saying this Brewers squad is literally built for these kinds of grind-it-out games. “The Milwaukee Brewers have been playing these types of games all season long,” he said. “Low-scoring games, not only their starters, but their bullpen has been unbelievable all year, and they showed it again tonight. So you would anticipate this series being low scoring throughout.” It’s one thing to say your bullpen is good, but to deliver like that in Game 1 of the NLCS? That is a massive statement.
A-Rod Warns The NLCS: You Can’t Keep Doing This
Alex Rodriguez was feeling the intensity too, comparing this series to last year’s NLCS where the Dodgers just swept Milwaukee on their way to another World Series title. He said last year felt like “David versus Goliath.” This year? “Just from the time we walked into the stadium … there’s a little bit of a swagger. It feels like Goliath versus Goliath.” That’s high praise for Milwaukee. But A-Rod also dropped a massive warning to both teams after seeing both Misiorowski and Skubal barely make it out of the fourth. “Not one of these pitchers threw a pitch in the fifth inning,” he pointed out. “It is unsustainable in a seven-game series to depend on 12-15 outs from the bullpen. The more the hitters get to see you, advantage: hitters.” He is not wrong, that is a ton of pressure on your relievers, and eventually, somebody is going to crack.
Can these bullpens really keep this up for seven games? That’s the question heading into Game 2 on Monday. The Dodgers and Brewers will continue the NLCS at American Family Field, with coverage kicking off at 4 p.m. ET on FOX. Let’s see if a starter can finally go deep and give their bullpen a break, or if A-Rod’s warning comes true. This is going to be a wild one, for sure.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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