MILWAUKEE — As the Brewers’ homestand continues against the Angels Tuesday night at American Family Field, the Brewers have already clinched a playoff berth.
That’s just the start of what they want to accomplish. Spectrum News 1’s Dennis Krause talked with former Brewers pitcher Jerry Augustine.
Dennis: Always great to be with Jerry Augustine, especially when he’s wearing his Brewers tie. How important is winning the division title, holding off the Cubs?
Jerry: I think it’s very important. I think, number one, you get that bye. And having a bye with this ballclub, you get the opportunity to sit back and figure out how you want to go about playing the team that you’re going to play and you get time to rest, get everybody healthy. I think health is the biggest thing that you have to have going in the playoffs.
Dennis: They could get the number one seed. Even if they get the number two seed, they get a bye in the first round, which would be huge, right?
Jerry: Oh most definitely. I think getting that time off, I think the one thing we talk about in a season is what is the number one way you want to be when you get to the playoffs? You want to be healthy. You want to make sure that everybody has that opportunity to be healthy, be ready to play, and you need that to go into the playoffs. When you’re healthy, it’s where you want to be in that you have to have the roster that’s going to be ready to play.
Dennis: Might be a stupid question, but if you get a top two seed and you get a bye, you go from what, Sunday to Saturday without playing. In baseball, with such an everyday rhythm, would that be difficult?
Jerry: I think sometimes it can be. It just depends on the formula you use. I think one thing that (Pat) Murphy has done with this ballclub, he always keeps them ready. And number one, not only do they play every game each and every day and they have several days off, but they do a PFP’s and do all the things they have to do to be a good, strong defensive club. He’s going to keep this team in tune for those five days. They’re going to scrimmage. They’re going to go through practice games. They’re going to do the things they have to do to stay sharp. And that’s what this club needs to do.
Dennis: Jerry, would you pitch Jacob Misiorowski as a starter or out of the bullpen in the playoffs?
Jerry: Boy, that’s probably the toughest question that they have right now. I think with the inconsistencies that Miz has had over the last three outings, I think you have to sit back and look and say, can he be that guy in a playoff situation? When you have so much pressure on you, can he be that guy to go out and do it, do what you need him to do as a starter? I like him either way. I think he can start. I think he can relieve, but the thing is, is he going to be able to handle that situation? The last time out, aggressive with the plate. Couldn’t have a good delivery, didn’t have the good delivery. And he was all over the place. He struggled a little bit. So, I think the one thing that Brewers worry about him is can he come into a game? Can he start a game and be under control? Have the nice pitches that he needs to do to control and get ahead of hitters. Or is he going to be that guy that’s going to really not be able to handle that pressure at that time.