World Series Game 5: Jacob Misiorowski Outs and MVP Picks

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Game Time Decisions

Brewers Face Pitching Decisions as World Series MVP Race Expands

Tonight will be only the sixth time in 25 instances that a team trailing 3-0 in the World Series has forced a fifth game. No team in that position has reached Game 6 or Game 7. For the Brewers, the goal remains simple: win one game at a time.

Milwaukee’s pitching strategy will be a major focus. Murph’s decision to use McGill for only five pitches last night raised questions, while the move to Drohan was more understandable. There was also a case for leaving Sensitella in longer.

Misarrowski has plus money on his prop of 15.5 outs, but his strikeout-heavy approach can quickly raise his pitch count. He rarely pitches to contact and consistently looks for strike one, strike two and strike three. That makes it difficult for him to work through the lineup multiple times, so the under may still be the better lean.

Rather than pushing Misarrowski deeper into the game, Milwaukee may prefer to maximize his ability to generate swings and misses before turning to another hard-throwing reliever. Five or six innings appears to be his likely ceiling. If he gets through that stretch without allowing a run and gives up only one hit, there may be an opportunity for him to continue. However, an outing of five innings and one or two runs would likely bring Romero or another reliever into the picture.

The Brewers’ middle relief has become a concern, with fatigue potentially starting to set in. Misarrowski has not approached 100 pitches in his recent outings, and Milwaukee has generally made its decisions based on the third trip through the order. He recorded only three strikeouts in Game 1 and did not reach 80 pitches, so the team could ask him to secure a few extra outs to save an arm or two.

McGill should also be available for a longer appearance after throwing only five pitches last night. Milwaukee could consider using him earlier, similar to Tampa Bay’s decision to bring in Baker early, to help stabilize the game.

Woodruff is another intriguing possibility for the Brewers after everything that happened yesterday. He could potentially fill a seventh- or eighth-inning role. On the other side, pitchers such as Matts, Clevinger and Salzer may be used. Despite concerns about those options, they deserve credit for limiting the offense last night.

The World Series MVP discussion has also changed. What appeared to be a two-player race now includes Pratt following his performance last night. The broadcast repeatedly showed Robin Youn in the ballpark, while Pratt delivered the type of game that can win an MVP award at just 22 years old.

Pratt has joined Chorio and Wilson Contreras in the conversation. Contreras had been the favorite, but two hits and two RBIs from any of those three tonight could be enough to decide the award if Milwaukee closes out the series.

Pratt was not part of the discussion before yesterday, demonstrating how quickly an MVP race can change. A strong performance from Jackson Chorio in the biggest moment, potentially including a home run, could also move him to the front. What was once a two-player contest is now clearly a three-player race.