MILWAUKEE -- Dustin May wobbled down the stretch for the Brewers, but he’ll get the ball to start Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Tuesday at Petco Park. And after Milwaukee’s 4-3 walk-off victory Sunday, he’ll take the mound with a chance to send the Brewers to the NL Championship Series.
Manager Pat Murphy made that pronouncement before Game 2, citing May’s postseason experience with the Dodgers and his success this season against the Padres in two starts with the Cardinals and one with the Brewers, who acquired May with reliever JoJo Romero in a Trade Deadline deal with St. Louis.
“We brought him in to do that,” Murphy said.
The assignment gives May an opportunity to deliver on that October purpose after a difficult finish to the regular season. For the right-hander, Murphy’s confidence is a meaningful place to start.
“That’s the biggest compliment that you can ask for,” May said Sunday. “Didn’t have the best stretch, but them having faith in me coming into it gives me a lot of confidence.”
May allowed three earned runs over 13 innings in his first two Brewers starts before going 1-2 with a 7.61 ERA over his final eight outings, starting with a two-inning, seven-run outing against the Mariners at home before an Aug. 26 start at Citi Field against the Mets in which May was struck by a comebacker on the very first pitch and had to leave the game.
He was able to start again four days later, but he allowed four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Rangers and lamented, “It sucks to be sucking right now.”
September was no kinder, despite May and the Brewers being pleased with his raw stuff. The club tried to help May through it by pitching him more often, in shorter bursts, in his final three outings of the regular season, capped by a three-inning start against the Cardinals on Sept. 26.
“It’s always a different animal when you cross into October,” May said. “I know I’m going to be fully prepared to get out there and do my best, and I know that I’m fully ready for it.”
Here’s one big factor in the Brewers’ decision to stick with him: May had a 1.23 ERA in his three starts against San Diego this season, with 22 strikeouts in 22 innings.
“If you look at his numbers this year versus the Padres, it’s better than anyone,” Murphy said of carrying May on the roster for this series. “And he’s got some experience in this situation. That wasn’t a tough one.”
May welcomed the assignment without leaning too heavily on those previous results.
“I don’t want to look too much into the past about it,” he said. “I’m just going to go out and execute and do what I can.”
With Monday’s off-day providing a breather after two tight games, the Brewers should have plenty of innings available behind May should he run into trouble. Milwaukee carried multiple left-handed starting pitchers as relievers in this series, including the fully stretched-out Robert Gasser along with Shane Drohan and Kyle Harrison, who finished the year pitching in shorter stints.