A-Rod Warns Dodgers And Brewers That Bullpen Reliance Is 'Unsustainable'

The Milwaukee Brewers drew first blood in their NLCS rematch with the Los Angeles Dodgers, holding on for a 2-1 win in Game 1 on Sunday night at American Family Field despite an unexpected night from their ace, Jacob Misiorowski.

Misiorowski lasted only 4 1/3 innings in Game 1, giving up one run on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts on 94 pitches. The Brewers’ bullpen took it from there: DL Hall, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings, and Megill worked around two walks in the ninth to earn the save. 

Derek Jeter admitted that if he’d been told before the game that the Brewers would get only 4 1/3 innings from Misiorowski, he would have expected Milwaukee to lose. But he added that this Brewers team has been built for exactly these kinds of games.

"The Milwaukee Brewers have been playing these types of games all season long," Jeter said during Sunday's postgame show on FS1. "Low-scoring games, not only their starters, but their bullpen has been unbelievable all year, and they showed it again tonight. So you would anticipate this series being low scoring throughout."

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Alex Rodriguez said this series already feels different from last year’s NLCS, when the Dodgers swept Milwaukee on their way to a second straight World Series title.

"We were here last year, and last year definitely felt like David versus Goliath," Rodriguez said. "Just from the time we walked into the stadium … there’s a little bit of a swagger. It feels like Goliath versus Goliath."

But he issued a warning to both teams following the superstar pitching matchup between Misiorowski and Skubal.

"Not one of these pitchers threw a pitch in the fifth inning," Rodriguez said. "It is unsustainable in a seven-game series to depend on 12-15 outs from the bullpen. The more the hitters get to see you, advantage: hitters."

The Dodgers and Brewers will continue the NLCS on Monday with Game 2 at American Family Field. Coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET on FOX.