'Huge': How Two Newest Brewers Arms Soaking Up Innings Helped Milwaukee Win a Series

"Four innings from Bryse was huge," Pat Murphy said after Tuesday night's 4-0 loss to the Mets. It was encased in the undertone that is part of a manager's armor after losses; the public demands an attitude of resignation and contrition. It sounded almost like he didn't mean it. He did.

Earlier that day, Murphy circled back around to Lance McCullers Jr., who had made his Brewers debut in Monday's 8-3 win. McCullers threw three innings after a short start by Jacob Misiorowski, and although he gave up two runs in the third of those frames, Murphy was effusive in his praise for the smooth landing by his newest acquisition. 

"Just how important it was," Murphy said, when asked why he was eager to talk more about McCullers after discussing him postgame Monday night, "that a kid goes into the game, that hasn't thrown a lot of innings this year and hasn't (obviously) thrown for us yet, and goes into a game, a 5-1 game in the sixth, and did so very well."

Murphy mentioned both Monday night and Tuesday afternoon that asking McCullers to pitch that third inning was a tall order, and perhaps not the best thing for the player himself. In the skipper's eyes, though, it was the best thing for the team, and he was very grateful to the erstwhile Astros starter for his selfless approach to that appearance.

All of that sounds like manager-speak. It's easy to praise players who play only when the stakes are low; it costs the manager nothing and garners some goodwill in the clubhouse. It doesn't necessarily mean anything. Murphy isn't that kind of politician, though. When he calls out a player in a positive light, it's because he sees real and forward-looking value in what they did.

Wednesday's game couldn't have made it more clear why Murphy was so enthusiastic about McCullers and Wilson doing what they did. Because they gave the team 21 outs over two days in which the game was not in doubt late, the 'A' bullpen was fresh. Whether heading off calamity by putting in one of his leverage arms with a good-sized lead or refusing to give up on a game ("nobody can take me off that," he said during one recent pregame media session, in reference to his Win Tonight credo) and sending them in when the team trails by a narrow margin, Murphy knows that he leans hard on his top arms. To do so less, he needs to trust the guys at the bottom end of the bullpen hierarchy more than he has felt able to trust some of the recent options.

He trusts McCullers and Wilson, though. His excitement about McCullers's openness to change and his team mentality are palpable. He knows Wilson and is willing to deploy him more flexibly than he would use a player of identical skills but who had proved less to Murphy about his dedication to the team.

Logan Henderson pitched well for Milwaukee Wednesday, with nine strikeouts and no walks in five innings of two-run ball. The team got him out of the game after 80 pitches, though, as they continue to monitor and manage his workload in light of his spotty health history. That left them with 12 outs to protect what was, initially, only a one-run lead.

Aaron Ashby often pitches in games like Monday's or Tuesday's, when Murphy feels less confidence in his long relief options or more desperate for a win. Thanks to McCullers and Wilson, though, he stepped onto the mound in the sixth having not pitched since Sunday. He was sharper than has been his recent norm, with extra life on everything, and he cruised through two innings while allowing just one baserunner.

Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill hadn't pitched since Saturday, and as high-octane one-inning guys, they almost looked a bit rusty after three days down. The lack of fatigue saved them, though. Each buckled down and got the outs they needed, and an insurance run added by Christian Yelich in the sixth inning helped the Brewers hold on for a 4-3 win.

That game can get away easily. The Mets pitched well and didn't make any of the defensive mistakes that are so much a part of their brand this year. Winning that rubber match required that Murphy be able to cover the back half of the game with his three top arms, and Wilson and McCullers made that possible over the two previous nights.

Whenever a long reliever works so much that they'll be down for a couple of days, you have to hold your breath for them for a minute. Wilson did hero's service to the team on Tuesday night, but if the team weren't just coming out of the All-Star break (and if they didn't have the day off Thursday to reset their bullpen), he might have been gone by Wednesday. He survived, and is still around, which will be a relief to Murphy again sometime soon. 

"I think I've kind of just embraced this role that I'm in now," Wilson said. "At this point in my career, this is what teams want from me, to be available, to be ready to take the ball and go right after guys, keep forcing soft contact, keep competing."

The burly right-hander was ecstatic when, after he was released by the Cubs last month, the Brewers had interest in a reunion. He called his previous stint with the team "the two best years of [his] career" and mentioned how much he trusts and likes the coaching staff, as well as many of his teammates. His locker in the home clubhouse at Uecker Field is right next to Ashby's, just as the two were arranged when Wilson was here last. He's extremely comfortable with the team, and willing to do whatever is asked of him. That was true when he first arrived, too, and was always part of what made Murphy so happy to have him. The manager talked about Wilson's selflessness with the media even before the calendar turned to March in 2024, his first year at the helm.

Wilson also has something working for him this time around, part of his constant effort to reinvent himself and befuddle batters: a split-change. 

"It's more of a split-change grip," he acknowledged, saying he made the switch early this season. "I felt like, just the way I had to manipulate the ball with my old grip"—he used to throw a four-seam straight changeup, the most basic version—"I really had to force the inside of my hand through it, and I think hitters could see that."

The righty knows he won't miss many bats with this version of the change. That's fine. He's always thrived on soft contact, and intends to keep doing so. One extra source of excitement for him about returning to the team lied in the reliability of the defense he'd be pitching in front of. He also feels like, if lefties are less able to spot his changeup right at release, they'll have to be a bit less aggressive against the rest of his arsenal. 

Murphy often talks about a player being "the right person," by which he means that they fit into the clubhouse and augment the team dynamic via their work habits, attitude and interpersonal skills, as well as their talent. He's already applied that term to McCullers and Wilson, and he seems to be right on both counts.

The season rips at you. It looks for loose threads and pulls them until you unravel. A team must be an exquisitely stitched garment, and when patches are needed, they must be done with care and use high-quality fabric. That's what Murphy believes the team has done with the latest additions to the bullpen, and the way the Mets series unfolded was an excellent example of how those seemingly intangible things can become tangible. McCullers and Wilson can't have big roles on great teams at this stage in their respective careers. However, having them in small roles can made the difference between a good team and a great one, and the Brewers very much aspire to be the latter.