Brewers stray from NLDS strategy with Game 3 starting pitcher assignment in NLCS

The topic of who would start Game 3 of a playoff series for the Milwaukee Brewers was a topic of hot debate throughout the 2026 campaign. A conversation that changed from who would follow a Jacob Misiorowski-Kyle Harrison tandem to who will follow a Misiorowski-Logan Henderson one-two punch, still wasn't settled when the Brewers began their NLDS matchup with the San Diego Padres.

However, shortly before Game 2 of the NLDS, Brewers manager Pat Murphy revealed that Dustin May would start Game 3 in San Diego two days later. It was a decision that favored postseason experience and potential over consistency and recent results, which are two areas where the Brewers' other Game 3 option, Robert Gasser, had May beat.

The decision to pitch May in Game 3 and Gasser in Game 4 of the NLDS didn't play out too poorly -- both starters gave the Brewers a chance to win each game. May, who the Brewers weren't planning to throw for too long, started strong, with a notable uptick in velocity, but faltered when facing the Padres' lineup for a second time and, as a result, covered just nine outs. However, with the Padres sporting a modest 2-1 lead when May exited, the Brewers' trade deadline acquisition certainly gave his team a chance to win Game 3 of the NLDS.

Gasser, meanwhile, impressed in his first postseason start in Game 4. The 27-year-old southpaw, who technically still qualifies as a rookie due to service time limitations, tossed four innings and allowed just one earned run in the Brewers series-clinching victory. Gasser showed impressive poise, working around traffic on the basepaths and uncharacteristically poor defense behind him, and proved that his strong finish to the regular season was no fluke.

The difference in Gasser and May's results during the NLDS led to questions about whether or not Pat Murphy would change the order of his rotation during the NLCS. Many Brewers fans, citing May's late-season inconsistency and Gasser's September surge, were campaigning for Milwaukee's skipper to flip the two starters in the NLCS rotation, and on Monday morning, they officially got their wish -- Gasser has officially been named the Brewers Game 3 starter.

Brewers move rookie southpaw Robert Gasser up to Game 3 after strong showing in NLDS

Dating back to August 26, Gasser has made seven starts, including his postseason appearance against the Padres last week, and hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any outing. He's covered 36.1 innings during that span, good for an average of over five innings per start. In other words, he's given the Brewers a good chance to win every time he's taken the mound over the last month and a half, and won they have. The Brewers have lost just one of Gasser's last eight starts.

Gasser's improved results during the second half of the season coincide with a mechanical change he made in mid-July. After always pitching out of a modified wind-up, Gasser started only pitching out of the stretch, and it's safe to say the results have been impressive. Said Gasser on ditching the wind-up, "I think it was the Atlanta game, where I dropped it, I gave up a hit or a walk to start every inning. It was like let's not do that. I went all stretch, and I don't think anyone got on. So we just kept riding that from there on."

That consistency is a coveted trait in the postseason, especially for a team like the Brewers that is known for their late-game comebacks. A poor start can completely derail Milwaukee's strategy of wearing down the opposing pitching staff before eventually capitalizing on a mistake. Gasser, rather than May, undoubtedly gives the Brewers a better chance to execute that strategy right now.

Aiding Gasser in his Game 3 start against the Dodgers is the fact that the young southpaw pitched at Dodger Stadium in mid-August. Said Gasser during his pregame press conference on Monday morning, "I enjoy having some familiarity with a lineup. I definitely look back to the game in August and watch those swings." On how he can prepare for the Dodgers by keeping a close eye on these first two games, Gasser said, "Obviously hitters adjust, but being a good guy in the dugout, watching them right now and seeing how they've changed to now, and trying to build a plan for them."

The Brewers have yet to officially name a Game 4 starter, but it's certainly not out of the question that May gets another start. Working in May's favor is the fact that the 29-year-old right-hander spent the first five and a half years of his career with the Dodgers, and has therefore logged more than 150 innings on the mound at Dodger Stadium. May faced the Dodgers back on May 3, as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, and turned in a quality start in which he covered six innings, allowed three earned runs, and collected three strikeouts. It is the lone start May has made against his former club since the Dodgers traded him at the 2025 trade deadline.

Given the presence of Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani at the top of the Dodgers' lineup, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Brewers use a left-handed opener before May in Game 4, but that is still to be determined. Confirmed, however, is the fact that Brewers fans will have the pleasure of watching two talented rookie starters, Logan Henderson and Gasser, take the mound in games 2 and 3 of the NLCS.

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