yahoo
The Milwaukee Brewers have seized a 2-0 advantage over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, and the story of the series has been the dominant performance of their bullpen.
In Game 1, the Brewers received a less-than-ideal start from Jacob Misiorowski, who lasted only 4 1/3 innings. The bullpen took over from there, surrendering two hits and three walks but keeping the Dodgers off the scoreboard. DL Hall was credited with the win.
Game 2 followed a similar script, with starter Logan Henderson exiting after just four innings. Henderson wasn't hit hard, but two errors cost him two runs, and a wild pitch also allowed a run to score. Despite the short outing, the bullpen came to the rescue once again.
Remarkably, the relief corps was even more impressive just one day later. Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby combined to cover five innings without allowing a single baserunner. They recorded seven of the final 15 outs via strikeout and, in doing so, etched their names into the MLB record books.
According to MLB Network's Sarah Langs, the five perfect innings thrown by the Brewers' bullpen are the most by any team's bullpen in a single postseason game in MLB history.
Now the series shifts to Los Angeles, and the Brewers' bullpen will benefit from a day of rest. Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, and Trevor Megill are accustomed to pitching on consecutive days, sometimes even four times in a five-day span. That breather should have them all available for Game 3.
Ashby has already tossed multiple innings in both games of the series, but the Brewers are unlikely to hold him back in Los Angeles. The team has also preserved some of its arms: Chad Patrick, Kyle Harrison, and Shane Drohan have yet to throw a pitch this postseason, though manager Pat Murphy has faith in all three. The games have been so tightly contested that the club has leaned heavily on its top three relievers.
Harrison was an All-Star in the first half but struggled down the stretch and lost his spot in the rotation. Patrick and Drohan have been reliable all year and will surely be called upon at some point in this seven-game series. All three could factor into the team's plans for Games 3 and 4.
More MLB: Dodgers To Discuss Drastic Move With Shohei Ohtani Down 0-2 In NLCS.
Originally reported by yahoo.