The Milwaukee Brewers missed their first opportunity to clinch the NLDS when the team lost Game 3 to the Chicago Cubs. Freddy Peralta will take the mound on Thursday as Milwaukee seeks to end the series in Chicago.
Peralta tied a Brewers record with nine strikeouts in Game 1 of the NLDS. But despite the strong playoff start and excellent regular season, manager Pat Murphy was asked if Peralta gets the credit he deserves.
“I don’t know what kind of credit you guys give him and don’t because I don’t spend my time– I read a lot of Shakespeare and things like that in my free time. So I don’t see a lot of who gets the credit and who doesn’t,” Murphy said, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy.
The Brewers' Renaissance man then put down his pocket pancake and recited some of The Bard’s famous lines. “To be or not to be, that is the question. Whether it’s nobler in the minds to suffer the slings and arrows of begotten fortune, or bear arms– I’ll stop. What is that, Hamlet? Was that pretty good?”
Pat Murphy to ‘let slip the dogs of war’ in Game 4 of NLDS
It wasn’t great. But Murphy acknowledged “the Shakespeare thing was a joke.” However, he was serious about Peralta getting his flowers for an excellent season.
“I know in our clubhouse and I know from the opposing players I talk to, they all really respect the heck out of him for who he is,” Murphy added.
Peralta developed into the Brewers’ ace during the regular season. The two-time All-Star led the National League with 17 wins. Peralta also put together a scoreless inning streak that spanned five starts. He tossed 30 consecutive scoreless innings before the Texas Rangers ended the run.
The Brewers cruised to a 2-0 lead in the NLDS. But Chicago roughed up Quinn Priester in Game 3 with a four-run first inning. The Cubs held on for the 4-3 victory, avoiding elimination.
Milwaukee is going back to Peralta on five days' rest. Chicago will counter with veteran lefty Matthew Boyd in a must-win Game 4 for the Cubs.
