The Milwaukee Brewers came within three outs of their first World Series championship Tuesday night, but a bullpen decision by manager Pat Murphy left the team’s bid for a sweep unfulfilled and forced a Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Leading 3-2 in the bottom of the 12th inning, Murphy chose to keep Cy Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski in the dugout rather than bring him in to close out the win. Instead, he turned to Shane Drohan, who did not record a single out. An error to open the inning was followed by four straight hits from the Rays, who tied the series and forced a decisive fifth game Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.
Murphy explained after the game that Misiorowski, who was always scheduled to start Game 5, was never under consideration for relief duty in that spot.
“You can’t blow that type of situation on a one-run lead on the road,” Murphy said. “If we were in the 13th inning and had a three-run lead, that might be a little bit different, and I probably still wouldn’t have.”
The decision set off heated debate among fans on social media in the hours after the game. Some argued Murphy should have used his best available arm to close out the title.
“I’m not crazy for thinking that the Brewers should have put in Misiorowski to start the inning, right? You need 3 outs, go use your best arm to get them,” one fan wrote on X.
Others defended the move, noting Milwaukee still held a commanding series lead and that risking an injury or a short-rested outing for Game 5 carried its own cost.
“They had 3-0 game lead. No reason to throw Misiorowski in this game,” one fan countered. A Rays fan added, “What if he had and Tampa still won. He would have lost him for at least game 5.”
Misiorowski led all of Major League Baseball this season with a 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts and a 13.0 strikeouts-per-nine-innings mark. His postseason numbers have been strong as well, with a 2.70 ERA and 14 strikeouts across 13.1 innings in three October starts.
Murphy burned through seven relievers in Game 4 after starter Dustin May was pulled following just three innings of work. Trevor Megill faced a single batter in the eighth, while Aaron Ashby — who had allowed just one run in 18 innings this postseason before Tuesday — opened the ninth and was removed after recording only one out in the 11th.
With the series now tied, the Brewers will need Misiorowski to deliver as scheduled in Game 5, with first pitch set for shortly after 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field.
