Brewers Signal Game 4 Starter After Taking 2-0 NLCS Lead

After their Game 2 win in the National League Championship Series, the Brewers may have tipped their hand on who their Game 4 starter will be. Manager Pat Murphy told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Todd Rosiak that Dustin May got an inning of relief in Game 2 as a tune-up for a potential Game 4 start.

May pitched the fifth inning for the Brewers, retiring the three batters he faced. It was his first outing since October 6, when he had a very short start against the Padres in the NLDS. He lasted just three innings before turning it over to the bullpen. The Brewers eventually lost that game, 4-3, which has been their lone postseason loss so far.

The right-hander threw 23 pitches in Game 2, which amounts to essentially a short bullpen session. The Brewers aren't likely to push May too deep in his start, unless he retires hitters at a really efficient rate.

When he takes the mound in Game 4, it will be his first start at Dodger Stadium as a visitor. He has one start against his former team this season, in which he allowed three runs in six innings on May 3. May was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals at the time.

Brewers Likely Starters in Los Angeles After Dustin May News

The Brewers currently carry a 2-0 lead in the NLCS, as the two teams head to Los Angeles. Left-hander Robert Gasser was already named the starter for Game 3. Assuming that May will make the Game 4 start, then their three starters on the road should be set.

Milwaukee will likely go with Gasser, May, and Jacob Misiorowski for Games 3-5 in Los Angeles. Misiorowski will try to shake off back-to-back short starts in the postseason, especially if the Dodgers see a lot of the Brewers' bullpen in Games 3 and 4.

May will get a chance at revenge against his former club on one of the biggest stages. The 29-year-old was once a promising pitching prospect in the Dodgers system. However, injuries played a role in him being pushed out of their rotation for more expensive and sure options. Eventually, the club just dealt him to the Boston Red Sox to close out the 2025 season for outfield prospects James Tibbs III and Zach Erhard.

The 2026 season has been the healthiest of May's career. The right-hander made 31 starts and logged 145.2 innings. That was enough for the Brewers to grab him as a potential mid-rotation arm and possible Game 3 starter behind Misiorowski and Logan Henderson. It hasn't quite worked out, as May has a 5.65 ERA in 10 starts as a Brewer.

However, he has a chance to justify the trade and get bragging rights over his former teammates with one big start. While revenge might not be on May's mind, he'll still need a great start to help solidify his free agent market after the season.