Brewers-Cubs NLDS Game Four Thread - 10/9/2025 @ 8:08PM

[CheezWizHed]

A tough start last night, but the Brewers fought back to make it close.  Just stop the Cubs in the first inning and the series is ours!

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Seen some local Chicago and national folks assuming this will be Peralta vs. Boyd, but I'm thinking the Brewers are going to go bullpen. Good arguments for that AND for Peralta. 

Like every game so far this series, I have NO idea what to expect going in. Seems like one of these games will turn on late runs rather than early ones (I hoped that'd end up the case last night, but no dice). Let's get to the Cubs bullpen arms tonight. We've had lots of chances against them. I'm not afraid of this going 5 (that seemed a likelier than usual outcome coming in), but it'd sure be nice to grab a win at Wrigley.

Go Crew! Get Turang and/or Yelich a big RBI hit and I think we win.

[Brian]

And I hope Murphy decides to go with "The A-Team" today.  Also, 

Turang and Frelick have been just about non existent at the plate vs the Cubs. 

Frelick .100 points under his 2025 season avg, we need him for sure today and Turang .167 postseason avg. We need ya guys! 

[CheezWizHed]

I posted elsewhere, but a BP game makes no sense to me.  Peralta is the team ACE.  Time to close it out. 

Doing BP means you have Ashby and Miz pitching a second game before Peralta gets his second. 

Fastball Freddie it should be. 

[liveforoctober]

6 minutes ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

Seen some local Chicago and national folks assuming this will be Peralta vs. Boyd, but I'm thinking the Brewers are going to go bullpen. Good arguments for that AND for Peralta. 

Like every game so far this series, I have NO idea what to expect going in. Seems like one of these games will turn on late runs rather than early ones (I hoped that'd end up the case last night, but no dice). Let's get to the Cubs bullpen arms tonight. We've had lots of chances against them. I'm not afraid of this going 5 (that seemed a likelier than usual outcome coming in), but it'd sure be nice to grab a win at Wrigley.

Go Crew! Get Turang and/or Yelich a big RBI hit and I think we win.

Peralta is the only answer today. We have no bullpen to throw! After what happened to Quinn yesterday in a hostile environment, we are going to throw Gasser or Miz into an even more hostile environment and burn up the rest of our pen for a game five?

[BuckyBrewer61]

If the wind is blowing in, not pitching Freddy would be managerial malpractice IMO. 

If it's blowing out, I'm up for a bullpen game.

[CheezWizHed]

3 minutes ago, Brian said:

And I hope Murphy decides to go with "The A-Team" today.  Also, 

Turang and Frelick have been just about non existent at the plate vs the Cubs. 

Frelick .100 points under his 2025 season avg, we need him for sure today and Turang .167 postseason avg. We need ya guys! 

There was a lot of grousing (not saying you, but plenty of people) in the game thread yesterday about starting Lockridge and Bauers.  Then Bauers had a great game - 2 for 4 with a HR.  Perkins and Lockridge both had equal bats and results (0-2).  

Our entire season success was on team success and matchups and not a single "A-Team".  I pity the fool! 😉

[CheezWizHed]

2 minutes ago, BuckyBrewer61 said:

If the wind is blowing in, not pitching Freddy would be managerial malpractice IMO. 

If it's blowing out, I'm up for a bullpen game.

So you want Miz, Ashby, and/or Gasser pitching with the wind blowing out? 

[Frisbee Slider]

Thankfully, the Brewers have all of the momentum after shutting the Cubs out after the first inning 🙂💪

[BruisedCrew]

I detailed in the other thread ( “Game 4 if Necessary”) why I feel strongly that Peralta is the only choice and why I will be upset if it isn’t him. 

[BuckyBrewer61]

8 minutes ago, CheezWizHed said:

So you want Miz, Ashby, and/or Gasser pitching with the wind blowing out? 

I'd still pitch Freddy.  I'm just saying we get one more game from Freddy this series, and he gets a lot of flyball outs.  While I would still pitch him today regardless, I could see the logic of not playing that card with the wind blowing out against a home-run dependent team. 

But if the wind is blowing in, I don't see any logic in not pitching Freddy.

[SeaBass]

I don't care who starts the game but please, for the love of all that's holy, can we please see a scoreless first inning when the Cubs bat? For once? That means no homeruns which we've been forced to watch each of the last 3 games. Man, it just feels like the Cubs do all their damage in inning 1 and after that they're meek as mice.

I don't care if we run Uribe out there I want a scoreless frame.

[Daubs]

I'm all for Peralta today and a bullpen game on Saturday (Quintana opener with Priester/Miz in relief?).  Go for the jugular today and if Saturday is needed, so be it.  The Brewers can retool their pitching staff with fresh arms for the NLCS (Myers, Hall and/or Rob Z could be additions).

[liveforoctober]

Respectfully, there is no thinking here. We just had Peralta vs Boyd 5 days ago and we kicked their teeth in. They are the ones that have to adjust, not us. Run the exact same lineup out there that we did in game one and end their season. Don't overthink it.

[tmwiese55]

I think the best route would be lefty opener then Peralta.      Turns out the hindsight mistake yesterday was to not 'overthink' and use a lefty opener like Quintana.     Today, I think best route is Ashby/Gasser for 1 to mess with Busch again, try to get 2 if they do well.  Then try to get 5 out of Peralta.     So its Peralta as the 'starter' but the small caveat of lefty opener to make them mess with their lineup and hopefully have Busch only face a righty once all day.

But the simplest route really can't be argued much either 

[Team Canada]

Yeah, if Counsell is willing to sit Busch I'm all in favor of that, unless Freddy strongly dislikes it.

[adambr2]

16 minutes ago, liveforoctober said:

Respectfully, there is no thinking here. We just had Peralta vs Boyd 5 days ago and we kicked their teeth in. They are the ones that have to adjust, not us. Run the exact same lineup out there that we did in game one and end their season. Don't overthink it.

Agreed. I get the concept behind the opener but I would rather have Ashby available for tight spots later in the game.

[tmwiese55]

1 minute ago, Team Canada said:

Yeah, if Counsell is willing to sit Busch I'm all in favor of that, unless Freddy strongly dislikes it.

If he doesn't sit him then he faces a lefty which makes him a shell of himself, so its a win win.

[Brian]

54 degrees first pitch temp tonight.  If I remember right Peralta doesn't do that well in cold weather games, I think an important thing to consider for tonight. Unless I'm over thinking it. 

[dlk9s]

Start our ace, all-star pitcher on regular rest. Pretty simple. If it goes to a Game 5, now you can throw everybody you need to at home. I see zero reason to save Peralta for a possible Game 5. He's one of the best pitchers in the league - let's end it tonight.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I wouldn't mind seeing the first couple pitches to Busch tonight right at his shins.  Nothing against him personally, but that dude is way, way too comfortable teeing off at the start of every game.  

[Brian]

8 minutes ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

I wouldn't mind seeing the first couple pitches to Busch tonight right at his shins.  Nothing against him personally, but that dude is way, way too comfortable teeing off at the start of every game.  

Don't forget about Nico Horner also .391 this postseason, that can't happen! 

[dlk9s]

And hey, if we can score something like 8 runs, we probably don't need to worry about who pitches.

[CheezWizHed]

29 minutes ago, Brian said:

54 degrees first pitch temp tonight.  If I remember right Peralta doesn't do that well in cold weather games, I think an important thing to consider for tonight. Unless I'm over thinking it. 

Yes, you are overthinking it. 😃

[CheezWizHed]

2 minutes ago, dlk9s said:

And hey, if we can score something like 8 runs, we probably don't need to worry about who pitches.

Score 15 and we can have Jake Bauers pitch!