Until late Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers coasted through the 2026 Major League Baseball playoffs.
asserted
Brewers → coast → playoffs
They had won eight straight games against the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays.
asserted
They → win → Padres
The hottest team in baseball in the second half of the season, a high-powered, star-studded, expensive roster that won 100 games, and the best team in the American League that also won 98 games.
asserted
that → power → games
It seemed like every single move manager Pat Murphy made worked perfectly. Better than perfectly.
asserted
Murphy → seem → ?
When they started light-hitting utility infielder David Hamilton, he hit a home run off Edwin Diaz to give the Brewers an insurance run in the ninth inning of a clinching Game 4 in the NLCS.
asserted
he → start → NLCS
Sal Frelick was perfectly positioned to run down a 106 mph line drive to right center field off the bat of Freddie Freeman, potentially changing the course of game two.
asserted
Frelick → position → game
Aaron Ashby, a very good reliever, had become the best reliever in postseason history.
asserted
Ashby → become → history
His 18 scoreless innings to start a postseason set a new baseball record.
asserted
innings → start → record
Robert Gasser, an average to below average starter, had allowed just one run in 15 innings, despite getting few swings and misses or strikeouts.
asserted
Gasser → allow → swings
In Game 4 of the World Series, Hamilton, who had just four homers in the regular season, hit another one to tie the score at two.
asserted
who → have → two
Then rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt hit a go-ahead homer in the top of the 12th inning, putting the Brewers three outs away from clinching their first ever championship.
asserted
Pratt → hit → championship
If that doesn't sum up Milwaukee's postseason run, it's hard to imagine what would.
asserted
what → sum → run
But in the bottom of the 12th, it all fell apart in the blink of an eye.
asserted
it → fall → eye
Junior Caminero reached on an error.
asserted
Caminero → reach → error
Liam Hicks singled, sending Caminero to third.
asserted
Hicks → single → third
Jonny DeLuca tied it with a single to center.
asserted
DeLuca → tie → center
Chandler Simpson singled to load the bases.
asserted
Simpson → single → bases
Then Ben Williamson ended it with a very Brewers-like hit, a ground ball to the right side that took a huge bounce over first base to reach the outfield.
asserted
that → end → outfield
Innings like that happen all the time in baseball.
asserted
Innings → happen → baseball
An error to start the inning, followed by things quickly spiraling.
asserted
things → start → inning
There are a few well-placed hits, a lucky bounce goes the opposing team's way, and before you know it, two runs have scored and the game is over.
asserted
game → be → it
But what made this outcome especially frustrating for Milwaukee was that it might not have needed to happen.
uncertain
it → make → Milwaukee
The Brewers had Antonio Senzatela on the mound to start the inning, then replaced him with little-used reliever Shane Drohan.
asserted
Brewers → have → Drohan
Drohan hadn't pitched since Oct. 15, when he gave up a run to the Dodgers in the NLCS.
asserted
he → pitch → NLCS
He'd pitched in a competitive game just once in the past month.
asserted
He → pitch → month
At first glance Murphy had few other choices, as all of his best relievers had already been used.
asserted
all → have → relievers
Aaron Ashby went over two innings.
asserted
Ashby → go → innings
Trevor Megill was used for just one out.
asserted
Megill → use → out
DL Hall had pitched, as had Abner Uribe and JoJo Romero.
asserted
Uribe → pitch → ?
And it's easy to second guess, knowing the outcome, but there was one other option to get the final three outs against the heart of the Tampa Bay lineup: the likely NL Cy Young Award winner, Jacob Misiorowski.
asserted
it → guess → lineup
Misiorowski was set to start game on Wednesday, which complicated the decision somewhat, but there's one guaranteed way to avoid having to worry about Game 5: win game four with three outs to go.
asserted
which → set → outs
After the game, Murphy explained his thought process on going to Drohan over his young ace.
asserted
Murphy → explain → ace
Per Brewers beat reporter Curt Hogg, Murphy said Misiorowski was not an option he wanted to burn in a one-run extra innings game while the Brewers had a 3-0 series lead.
asserted
Brewers → say → lead
As for game five, Murphy added that it's now "all hands on deck" for Milwaukee.
asserted
it → add → Milwaukee
"Yeah, it’s all hands on deck," he said.
asserted
he → ’ → deck
"You can write it up and hope that they perform like the back of their baseball card, but that doesn’t always happen.
asserted
that → write → card
You go with what you believe is the deal.
asserted
you → go → ?
I trust our guys.
asserted
I → trust → guys
I trust them.
asserted
I → trust → them
They put themselves in a position to win."
asserted
They → put → position
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
