Robert Gasser exits 1-1 game in fifth

Gasser gave up a Yandy Díaz single to begin the bottom of the first, but he faced only three batters in the inning after Chandler Simpson, who barely beat out a double play ball on which Díaz was retired, was caught stealing. The only other batter to reach was Victor Mesa Jr. on a walk in the sixth, and he was erased on a Nick Fortes double play. Gasser’s three postseason starts have seen him give up only one run in 15 innings. It’s a distant concern right now, but he’s probably locked up his spot in the 2027 rotation.

Gasser allowed just three hits and a walk, and he struck out three. He threw 47-of-72 pitches for strikes, and it was a little surprising that the Brewers pulled the southpaw only to see Abner Uribe allow two runs while getting just one out after Gasser left. Milwaukee still was able to get the win, however, and has a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. The 27-year-old could get a start in Game 6 or 7 if necessary, or could be a bullpen option in the coming days.

Gasser threw four innings of one-run ball in Game 4 of the NL Division Series in the win over the Padres. The left-hander had a 3.87 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 103/35 K/BB ratio in 109 1/3 innings for the Brewers this season, and he has a 1.73 ERA in his last seven games (six starts). It’s unlikely that the Brewers let him pitch deep into this game, but they are up 2-0 in the series, so they may want to give their bullpen some rest if they see the chance to.

Misiorowski will square off against Dodgers trade deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal, who was reportedly pursued by the Brewers prior to the deal with Los Angeles, to kick off the best-of-seven opener in Milwaukee. Logan Henderson will start Game 2, and the plan is for Robert Gasser to get the nod in Game 3. There are plenty of narratives here, but the most compelling to monitor is whether Misiorowski can go shut down Los Angeles’ star-studded lineup multiple times to help lead the Brewers to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982. The hard-throwing 24-year-old allowed two runs over four innings during his playoff debut against the Padres last weekend.

It wasn’t clear until this afternoon whether Gasser would get a start in the series, but he did and came through nicely in his first appearance since Sept. 25. Based on this and the way he ended the regular season — he had a 1.67 ERA in his final six starts — he probably ought to be ahead of Dustin May in line for a potential Game 3 start against the Dodgers.

Gasser has not yet pitched this postseason. The left-hander had a 3.87 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 103/35 K/BB ratio in 109 1/3 innings for the Brewers this season. His last two outings were six and seven innings, respectively, so there is not likely to be a pitch count on him, but the Brewers will also happily go to their bullpen early if they feel it’s the right move.

It was one of the best outings of the season for Gasser, whose nine strikeouts set a new career-high. Gasser’s lone earned run came in the fourth inning when he allowed a solo homer to Ivan Herrera to tie the game at 1-1. Gasser would not allow another run or hit the rest of the way and has been tremendous heading into the postseason. The lefty ends the season with a 5-5 record and a 3.87 ERA, but has allowed just five earned runs over 27.0 innings while striking out 25 batters in September.

Gasser was excellent on Saturday, holding the Orioles scoreless through six innings. He cruised through most of the game, limiting Baltimore to three baserunners through five frames. His biggest challenge came in the sixth as he loaded the bases with one out before inducing a ground-ball double play. Gasser returned to complete a scoreless seventh inning. He struck out two. The 27-year-old left-hander will take a 4.01 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 94/34 K/BB ratio across 103 1/3 innings into a start against the Cardinals in Milwaukee on Friday.

Gasser struck out five. He left with a 2-0 lead after giving up an Elly De La Cruz single to start the sixth, only for Antonio Senzatela to immediately give up another hit and then a three-run homer. In part because of the quick hooks, Gasser has won just once since the beginning of August. He’ll face the Orioles next time out.

If Gasser had played better defense, he might have pitched five scoreless innings and gotten a win tonight. As is, he missed out on two potential outs in a three-run fourth and left with the Brewers down 3-1. He’ll still be a decent play in another start against the Cubs, this one at home, next week.