SAN DIEGO — Freddy Peralta already was important to the Brewers’ hopes of reversing their recent postseason heartbreaks and playing deep into October. Now, with everything happening around him in Milwaukee’s uncertain starting rotation, he’s even more important.
Making his first start since the Brewers lost Brandon Woodruff to a lat injury and decided to move slumping rookie Jacob Misiorowski to relief — not to mention his first start since the Brewers clinched their third consecutive NL Central title and a first-round bye in the postseason — Peralta held the Padres to two runs over five innings Monday night in the series opener at Petco Park and reached the 200th strikeout plateau for the third straight season.
Though Brewers ultimately fell, 5-4, in 11 innings as San Diego clinched a postseason berth, Peralta became the third pitcher in franchise history with at least three seasons of 200-plus strikeouts, joining Yovani Gallardo (four in a row from 2009-12) and former teammate Corbin Burnes (three in a row from 2021-23).
Peralta left the game with the Brewers leading, 3-2, after allowing the two runs on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts, ending his night with a scare when Padres star Manny Machado hit a flyout to the warning track in center field to finish the fifth. Through 32 starts, Peralta has a 2.68 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings.
He’s the easy choice to start Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Oct. 4, no matter which team winds up being the opponent. And getting Peralta to that game in good health is a top priority for the Brewers, who won’t have Woodruff or veteran left-hander Jose Quintana (left calf strain) for the remainder of the season and have ruled out using Misiorowski as a starter in the NLDS.
“Freddy’s been through it and I think he’ll be fine,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said going into this series. “You lose one of the best pitchers we have – look at our record since [Woodruff] has been back – and what can you say? It’s disappointing. But you don’t have time to think about it and feel sorry for yourself. We figure out ways.”
The Brewers are trying to figure out ways to navigate this series against the Padres knowing the teams might square off again with even higher stakes in the NLDS. They are also trying to play hard over the final six games of the regular season, knowing that the No. 1 seed in the NL and overall in MLB is still in play, while also keeping their players rested and ready for the postseason.
“You have to thread the needle a little bit,” Murphy said. “You can’t be ridiculous about how you go about it because you’re not in desperation mode, but you’re in ‘win tonight’ mode — that’s all there is to it. If you’re undermanned or you’re injured or your guys are not available, so what? Every team goes through it.