MLB Postseason 2018: Three takeaways from Brewers
The Brewers did all they could to hand Game 1 of the National League Division Series back to the Rockies, but they were able Gregor Blanco Jersey to come away with a 3-2 win in 10 innings on a Mike Moustakas walk-off single.MOOOOOOOOOSE. @Brewers walk off in #NLDS Game 1! pic.twitter.com/1ooXQT5ERH MLB (@MLB) October 5, 2018 Milwaukee had a 2-0 lead in the ninth inning only to see Jeremy Jeffre s allow three straight hits to tie the game. The Brewers then had to make their way through another inning having used all of their best relievers in Corey Knebel, Josh Hader and Jeffre s in earlier innings.But they were able to get by and Moustakas, who they acquired at the trade deadline for a couple of prospects, won the game by plating Christian Yelich with the winning run. Yelich went 2 for 3 with a two-run homer and two walks.Three takeaways from NLDS Game 1Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes make openers look goodThe Athletics gave the opener a bad rap Wednesday as Liam Hendriks gave up two runs in two batters to start the game in a 7-2 lo s to the Yankees in the American League wild-card game Wednesday. The Brewers made it look a lot better Thursday as Brandon Woodruff to sed three hitle s innings and Corbin Burnes followed with another two scorele s frames.The two pitchers gave up one hit combined in the game and helped the Brewers get off to a good start. They made the opener look good, but at the same time, they kind of deceived everyone watching. Woodruff and Barnes aren’t your typical relievers. Yes, they combined to make 45 relief appearances this season, but they both came up through the minors as starters.They were actually the Brewers No. 3 and No. 5 prospects last season. It’s still an impre https://www.giantsedge.com/san-francisco-giants/dave-dravecky-jersey sive feat to get two youngsters to step in as « openers » and to s five shutout innings, but if we learned anything from a 20-year-old Madison Bumgarner in 2010, a 21-year-old Lance McCullers Jr. in 2015 and even a 25-year-old Kyle Freeland Tuesday, just because starters are young, it doesn’t mean they can’t handle the pre sure. Burnes and Woodruff made the opener work, but they are much more than relievers. They could be starters for Milwaukee for years to come.Stay with the hot handLet’s preface this by saying, we know Josh Hader had thrown 1 1/3 innings, 20 pitches and had right-handed hitters due up first and second to start the ninth inning, however, hindsight being 20-20, taking Hader out of the game after Rockies hitters barely sniffed contact against the lefty was a mistake. If a hitter can’t catch up to your fastball, don’t throw him a change-up.Hader has been one of the most unhittable relievers in all of baseball this year, and po sibly posted the best season by a lefty reliever of all time striking out 143 batters in 81 1/3 innings. He can crank his fastball up to 99 and has a Randy Johnson-esque slider to go with it.He was the best option to finish off a game the Brewers had in the bag and Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell went to Jeremy Jeffre s to close it out in the ninth. Even though Jeffre s had the second-best ERA for a reliever in MLB this season, the Rockies never proved they could touch Hader’s stuff. Don’t give them a new lease on life.Jeffre s does not nearly have the power stuff of Hader and it played right into the hands of Gerardo Parra who pinch-hit and an older Matt Holiday whose bat speed has le sened as he has aged. They both got on with hits and Charlie Blackmon followed that up with a knock of his own. Two batters later the game was tied. They should have stuck with Hader.The first game matters for the BrewersWhile this may be the case for every MLB team, winning the first game of a series is a great thing for Brandon Crawford Jersey the Brewers. While teams play two-, three- and four-game series during the regular season and not five games like in the playoffs, the Brewers thrive off of winning the first game of a series.Milwaukee won the first game of a series 32times this season. They went on to win 25 of those series and tied five of them, so just two times did they win the first game and go on to either lose two of the next three or three of the next four.The Brewers make a living off of their bats and when they get out in front they are tough to catch. They are now out in front of the Rockies and all of the pre sure is on Colorado, just like Milwaukee likes it.
