Brewers' Manager Pat Murphy Explains Decision To Pull Freddy Peralta Early Tuesday

Milwaukee wound up dropping the game against New York

Sep 14, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (21) prepares for a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers couldn't hold on to an early lead in Tuesday afternoon's loss to the New York Mets.

The Brewers starting pitching has been criticized since the start of the 2024 campaign. The club decided to roll out Freddy Peralta for the first game of the Wild Card Series, but the righty didn't last long.

Following the 8-4 loss, manager Pat Murphy was unsurprisingly asked about his decision to pull the 28-year-old after just four innings.

"(Peralta) is probably 18 pitches from where his -- his kind of limit is," Murphy told reporters Tuesday evening. "We take the lead in the game. We've got a full bullpen. It's a playoff game. You don't -- 'Well , we'd like to get him to five because of our bullpen usage over the week.' You don't do that. You're playing to win tonight."

While the skipper's logic is sound, the move ultimately didn't pay off. The Mets put up five runs in the fifth inning and Milwaukee's offense couldn't get things going.

Peralta may have been able to prevent the implosion had he stayed on the mound, as he shut down the side in the previous two innings and retired his last nine in order -- though in fairness, Murphy was concerned with his pitch count and durability entering the fifth inning and beyond.

Milwaukee will have a shot to even the series Wednesday night, with their season on the line.

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