There’s a new standard in Milwaukee, and it’s not subtle.
In the second inning of the Brewers’ 6–4 win over the White Sox, manager Pat Murphy made a call that echoed far beyond the mound. He walked out, went up to starter Tobias Myers, and pulled him—not for an injury, not for a pitch count. He just didn’t like what he saw.
“I just didn’t like the way he was throwing the ball,” Murphy said. “I didn’t like the conviction. I didn’t like the way he was going about it. I just didn’t think it was good enough.”
The message was unmistakable: if you’re not going to compete with urgency, you’re not going to stay on the field.
“I knew we had a full bullpen, but still, this is how we’re going to do it, man,” Murphy said. “You’re not going to be a starting pitcher on this team—with all the injuries we’ve had—if you’re just going to coast. We’re not out here saying, ‘Oh well, we’ve got to get innings out of you.’”
Myers Feels the Heat
According to CBS Sports, “Myers has shown substantial rust in his two outings after spending the first part of the season on the injured list.” And that’s part of the equation.
“Not commanding the zone. Not throwing strikes. Just not giving the team a chance to win…,” Myers said. “Disappointed for sure. Don’t want to have the bullpen out there in the third. Rolling off that last start, same thing–disappointed.
“It’s not our decision. I probably would’ve made the same decision if I was him. I got to be better.”
It’s that sharp edge Murphy’s instilling in a Brewers team that, despite a decimated rotation and an up-and-down offense, is grinding its way through April and into May with purpose. Myers, for his part, took the message in stride:
“I’m excited to get back out there,” Myers said. “I’m ready to go, and I’m definitely going to put the work in this week to put me in a good spot for next week.”
Myers has only pitched six innings this season, giving up six hits, four runs, five strikeouts, and seven walks in 131 pitches.
No Mercy in the Grind
If you think Murphy is obsessing over playoff odds or standings, think again. His focus is more direct than that.
“The only standings that matter to me is we’re .500,” Murphy said on Wednesday. “And if you’re going to be a team that plays beyond the end of the season, you can’t be .500. But you don’t look at it now. You just say, ‘Hey, we got work to do.’”
That grounded but urgent mentality has defined Murphy’s approach from day one. And those words rang even louder 24 hours later, after the Brewers followed up a win with an 8–0 gut punch of a loss.
“It doesn’t get any easier,” Murphy said. “There [are] no bad teams, and there’s no mercy in this game. ‘Oh, poor them, they got hurt. Oh, West Coast trip. Oh, poor them.’ That’s not a thing. Everybody’s trying to step on your throat.”
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