Robert Gasser let up six hits, one run, and two walks with six strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win in an 8-1 game against the Mets on Wednesday.
Gasser was thrust into action after Dustin May was struck by a line drive on the first pitch of the game and forced to exit. From there, he was stellar while pitching with a big lead from the second inning onward. The Mets briefly challenged in the fourth, but Gasser got a huge strikeout from A.J. Ewing before Francisco Lindor could come up with a chance to claw them back into this game. He found a tick more velocity on his fastball and that helped it to force seven of his 10 total swings-and-misses. We didn’t have a clear indication that he was out of the Brewers’ rotation, but more so that he and Shane Drohan were somewhat competing for the final spot as they shifted back to a five-man staff while also having fluid roles in the short term. A strong showing here may have earned Gasser another turn or two as a starter. Or, Milwaukee may have no choice depending on May’s health status.
