Pat Murphy's flexible bullpen approach and a rotation featuring Freddy Peralta and Jacob Misiorowski face their most demanding test against Los Angeles.
Professional · Baseball · MLB
Published: Oct 13, 2026
MILWAUKEE: The Milwaukee Brewers did not win 97 regular-season games through offensive star power alone.
They built much of their success around pitching.
That foundation helped the club win the NL Central and defeat Chicago in the Division Series.
Now Milwaukee is attempting to use the same approach against the defending World Series champion Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
Milwaukee enters Game 3 on October 16 trailing the series 0–2 after losses of 2–1 and 5–1 at home. Its pitching plan now has to help the club recover from that deficit.
The assignment is particularly difficult because Los Angeles possesses a lineup capable of producing runs through some of baseball's most talented hitters.
A different kind of pitching staff
Milwaukee's success has depended on getting useful innings from several pitchers rather than relying exclusively on one traditional ace.
Freddy Peralta remains central to the rotation.
His ability to miss bats and establish effective early innings makes him an important contributor.
But the Brewers have also used their bullpen creatively.
Manager Pat Murphy is willing to organize games around matchups rather than rigid traditional roles.
That approach became especially visible against Chicago.
The Cubs series provides the example
In Game 5 of the NLDS, Milwaukee used closer Trevor Megill to open the contest.
It was an aggressive decision designed to prevent Chicago from establishing an early lead.
Jacob Misiorowski then delivered four innings of one-run baseball.
Chad Patrick contributed important relief work.
Abner Uribe finished the victory with a six-out save.
The unconventional plan helped Milwaukee defeat the Cubs 3–1 and advance.
It also demonstrated how effectively the Brewers can distribute pitching responsibilities when the roster is healthy and the staff executes.
Los Angeles offers another challenge
The Dodgers' lineup demands a different level of preparation.
Shohei Ohtani and his teammates possess the ability to generate runs quickly.
Milwaukee cannot afford to depend on repeatedly escaping difficult situations with runners aboard.
The Brewers must prevent extended rallies and avoid giving Los Angeles extra possessions through walks or defensive mistakes.
Murphy also must determine how aggressively to use his highest-leverage relievers.
A championship series can include consecutive games with limited recovery time.
That makes bullpen workload an important consideration.
The formula remains clear
Milwaukee has demonstrated that its pitching approach can work against strong opponents.
The 97-win season offered evidence.
The NLDS victory against Chicago reinforced it.
But postseason success depends on immediate execution.
One poorly located pitch can change a game.
One successful bullpen decision can preserve a season.
The Brewers have built their competitive identity around those margins.
Against Los Angeles, they are facing the most demanding version of that challenge.
LOS ANGELES — Milwaukee needed only one inning to take back the lead. By the end of the night, the Brewers had taken something considerably larger from the Dodgers: nearly all their room for error.
DOPE Sports Network Staff · Oct 14, 2026
William Contreras had already answered one Dodgers lead when he stepped into the middle of another Milwaukee comeback. His fifth-inning home run brought the Brewers even. His sixth-inning single put them ahead. By the time Aaron Ashby recorded the final out, Los Angeles had exhausted eight pitchers without finding a way to stop Milwaukee from coming back.
DOPE Sports Network Staff · Oct 14, 2026
Milwaukee's four relievers in NLCS Game 2 allowed the Dodgers no hits and no walks over five innings. That line is the simplest way to locate the difference between a game the Brewers repeatedly had to repair and a finish they could control. Once the bullpen took responsibility for the remaining outs, Los Angeles stopped producing baserunners through either of those routes.
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