Henderson Game 1….and Miz Game 2?

[ReverendBrewmeister]

On 9/24/2026 at 4:44 PM, Brewcrew82 said:

No way they're moving Miz out of Game 1. He's already lined up and Game 1 is big in a 5 game series so you want your best pitcher going. Especially when your opponent won't be able to start their #1 on regular rest. Why cede that advantage? Then, he'd be on identical rest for a potential Game 5.

Better idea would be to bullpen game 2 (DL Hall open?) ahead of the off-day and move Henderson to Game 3. I actually prefer this approach to Henderson in game 2. Same thing they did last year with Priester.

 

The guys over at Milwaukee's Tailgate, with Spencer Michaelis as a guest host, floated the idea of setting up the NLDS starting pitching:

• Game 1 – Misiorowski
• Game 2 – Gasser or May (opener/short start)
• Game 3 – Henderson

The idea was based on having the off day after Game 2. Based on that, heavily using the bullpen arms in Game 2 to pick up 4–6 innings could be done and then giving them the off day. Henderson would need to go 5 or 6 innings in Game 3, which would leave a fairly rested bullpen for Game 4 (if necessary), which could be similar to Game 2 (opener/short start for whoever doesn't start that one). There would also be the off day after Game 4, if the series goes the distance.

It's an interesting wrinkle in thinking about how to organize the starters in a short series.

[Frisbee Slider]

13 minutes ago, ReverendBrewmeister said:

The guys over at Milwaukee's Tailgate, with Spencer Michaelis as a guest host, floated the idea of setting up the NLDS starting pitching:

• Game 1 – Misiorowski
• Game 2 – Gasser or May (opener/short start)
• Game 3 – Henderson

The idea was based on having the off day after Game 2.

To me, the smarter path seems to be throw your two best starters to open the series. Bank the off day. Then consider bullpenning game 3 due to the off day. Gasser/May short-leash piggyback for game 4. Then Miz on full rest game 5, if necessary.

Henderson on full rest to start game one next series.

[Playing Catch]

I always feel like Game 2 is the most important game outside of elimination games. Why not game 1? Well, sure, Game 1 is equally important as you cannot be down 0-2 after two home games. But if you can only win Game 1 OR Game 2, I want the confidence boost of winning the game before the first road game. I think losing Game 2 invites an awful lot of jitters heading to their place.

You always prefer going with your Ace in Game 1 so that they are more likely to be available in an elimination game.

Avoiding blow-up innings from a pitcher is the key to winning the playoffs. Is it more likely that Henderson blows up (literally has never happened), or that one of May, Gasser, Patrick, Senzatela, Harrison, or JoJo Romero blow up?

 

[long ball]

I think I’m pitching Misiorowski and Henderson in games 1 and 2. I understand the argument of pushing Henderson to game 3, but I’d rather just go with my 2 best guys to start the series. 
 

as for the rest of it, no one else is going to go longer than 4 innings so I don’t really care the order. I’d probably throw Gasser in game 3 as the “bulk” pitcher and expect to cover the other 5-7 innings with the pen. I’d probably just start Gasser, but I could see Patrick or Senzatela as an opener making sense. The padres do a little more platooning than the Cubs do. Most of the Padres scary hitters are right handed (France, Tatis, machado)

 

I will note… May has made 2 great starts against SD and a third that was pretty decent. He also made one good start against the cubs while still pitching for STL. 

[owbc]

1 hour ago, Playing Catch said:

You always prefer going with your Ace in Game 1 so that they are more likely to be available in an elimination game.

I think that logic works down the line as well. You want Henderson to go game 2 so that he's available out of the bullpen in game 5 if necessary. 

I get OP's logic. Your opponent is going to throw their #1 in games 2 and 5, so why not put Miz against them. That's where having the strong #2 comes in handy to put against the opponent's #1. 

Assuming it's the Padres, I'd do a Patrick opener to Gasser in game 3 to attack their platoon vulnerabilities against LHP. 

Then start May on a short leash in G4, followed by a lefty reliever to attack their platoons again.