Murphy’s law: How the Brewers’ bullpen outlasted the Padres

Manager Pat Murphy adjusted his bullpen strategy after the Brewers were swept by the Padres in August, learning to pull starters early and rely on his deep relief corps. In the NLDS, Murphy kept his four starters to four innings or fewer per game while his bullpen threw 19 innings and allowed just one earned run for a 0.47 ERA, holding the Padres to no more than two runs in any game. Murphy strategically preserved his top relievers for critical moments, using depth options like Senzatela and Romero in lower-leverage situations, while Padres manager Craig Stammen exhausted his best arms early and repeatedly returned to overworked relievers. The Brewers' superior bullpen management and fresher arms proved decisive in the series victory, positioning Milwaukee with a well-rested relief staff heading into the NLCS.

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