The Milwaukee Brewers lost Game 4 of the World Series in the 12th inning on a walk-off single by Ben Williamson, but must now turn the page.
In an extra-inning game, both teams' bullpens were taxed. Even though the Brewers lost, they must remember that they are up 3-1 in the series and their pitching is still in a better spot than the Rays'. The Rays used seven pitchers, including Nick Martinez, who started Game 1 and could have been the Game 5 starter.
The Brewers used eight pitchers, including their big four of DL Hall, Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill and Aaron Ashby. Still, they should be in a good spot. The Rays will probably be all hands on deck again, and while Brewers fans may want to be just as aggressive, they are in the driver's seat and don't have to be as reckless.
Thanks to a 10-1 win on Monday and an off day on Thursday, the Brewers are actually in great shape for Game 5. They did not use Jacob Misiorowski out of the bullpen on Tuesday, much to the ire of many fans, but they have their ace on the mound now.
Behind him, it's safe to assume Hall, JoJo Romero, Megill and Uribe will all be available. None of the high-leverage arms pitched in Game 3, and Megill faced just one batter in Game 4. Uribe threw two innings, but he has worked back-to-back all season, and this is the World Series. Fans should expect Murphy to have a lane for him to go in Game 5, as he threw only 19 pitches in Game 4.
The big question mark is Aaron Ashby, who threw 31 pitches in Game 4. He is a World Series MVP candidate and has had a huge workload all postseason. It would seem like he would not be available, but with him, it's impossible to know. With an off day on Thursday, Murphy will likely lean toward using him again, but maybe not for as long.
The other arms the Brewers have on the roster are Brandon Woodruff, Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan, Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Harrison and Logan Henderson. Senzatela has thrown 2 2/3 innings in the last two games, so he is likely down on Wednesday.
Harrison has yet to pitch and may only be used for length in extra innings. Woodruff closed out Game 3, but his injury history makes him a tricky case. He gave up two hits and a run in the ninth inning of Game 3, but if Senzatela is down, he could be used against righties for an inning.
Gasser started Game 3, so it's unlikely he pitches in Game 5. Drohan threw 15 pitches in Game 4, but ended up costing the Brewers the game. He would seemingly be available if needed, but probably not in a high-leverage situation.
Logan Henderson is the big wild card for the Brewers tonight. He is on schedule to start Game 6 if the series gets there, but using him in Game 5 may not hurt that. Teams have used starters out of the bullpen for single innings in the postseason without throwing them off schedule. It would be like him getting his side work in during the game. He's another option against a lane of righties if Senzatela is down.
As for the Rays, their pitching plans don't really matter. They have to push all their chips into the middle of the table. There's no point in saving arms for a game that they can't get to without a win. Fans should expect every pitcher to be available, save for maybe Griffin Jax.