Pat Murphy's Brewers step on Tarik Skubal in NLCS Game 1

Some managers give you clichés before a big game. Murph gave the Dodgers' ace a pep talk about fatherhood.

Foul Territory

@FoulTerritoryTV

Pat Murphy on facing Tarik Skubal in Game 1 of the NLCS: “I just wanna step on his throat. I mean that respectfully, ’cause I really like Tarik. […] I’m sure he’s gonna be able to feed his family and be a great dad. He can lose tonight and be fine.” 😭

There's history behind the bit. Milwaukee chased Skubal at the trade deadline and reportedly made Detroit a real offer, but the Dodgers landed the 2-time Cy Young winner instead. So Murphy got to look at the guy he wanted on his own side of the field, say he really likes him, and say he wants to bury him, all in the same breath. Then it actually happened.

Skubal wasn't bad. He went 5 innings, struck out 7 and gave up 2 runs. That was enough to lose. Los Angeles scratched 1 across in the 2nd when Andy Pages singled Shohei Ohtani home. Brice Turang tied it with a homer in the 4th, and in the 5th the Brewers scored the go-ahead run on small ball: Garrett Mitchell walked, Cooper Pratt bunted him to 2nd, and Luis Lara singled up the middle. The bullpen held it from there, and the Dodgers lineup went quiet all night.

The best press conference of the day wasn't really Murphy's, though. A pair of 12-year-old reporters got the first 2 questions, and they didn't throw softballs.

Adam McCalvy

@AdamMcCalvy

The 12-year-old @twinstripebros are here and had the first two questions for Pat Murphy. The first question was a banger: Why did he leave Christian Yelich out of the lineup when he’s been so hot? t.co/5zXZBgBOBC

Asking a manager why a hot Christian Yelich is on the bench in an NLCS opener is a question plenty of grown beat writers would hedge on. These kids just asked it. The presser also turned into Murphy talking about Bruce Springsteen, which explains a postgame tradition at American Family Field.

Adam McCalvy

@AdamMcCalvy

If you’ve ever wondered why the Brewers play Glory Days after victories, it’s because Pat Murphy is a huge Springsteen fan. And because that came up at his presser today, it was a chance to ask, why Bruce? We’ll gladly pay Murph’s proposed fine to hear the answer. t.co/Ds1aSCgtYv

So after Game 1 the Brewers got to play Glory Days, and the kids came back for more. Jacob Misiorowski got shaky in the 2nd and was gone after 4.1 innings and 94 pitches, giving up just the 1 run. When they asked Murphy what he told his starter, he had an answer ready.

Foul Territory

@FoulTerritoryTV

Carter and Cooper returned postgame to ask Pat Murphy what he said to Jacob Misiorowski after his rough second inning: "We have a paddle we keep in the back room. We just paddle him." 😭

Foul Territory@FoulTerritoryTV

Pat Murphy was having fun talking about Bruce Springsteen with a couple of young reporters - then they started asking the hard questions. 😂 t.co/tQKAaoAfSX

For the record, no, nobody is getting paddled. Murphy is having the time of his life and it's rubbing off on the clubhouse. Game 2 is Monday in Milwaukee with Logan Henderson facing Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Beating Skubal is the hard part of this series and the Brewers have already done it once. If they take Game 2 at home, the Dodgers fly back to LA down 2-0, and Murph will have plenty more to say.