The Brewers spent most of the summer landing the final punch with Trevor Megill slamming the door in the ninth. Then came the curveball: a right flexor strain that sent Megill to the 15-day IL on August 27 (retroactive to August 25). October is creeping up, the margin for error is shrinking, and Milwaukee needed an answer. Manager Pat Murphy already had one ready. Instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all closer, he’s shifting the late-inning mindset to a simple truth: use your best relievers when the most dangerous opposing hitters appear, not when the inning number says so.
We saw the blueprint on September 18 in a 5–2 win that completed a sweep of the Angels.