Dodgers Opinion: The Brewers Made the “Underdog” Narrative a Reality
After claiming an underdog mentality entering the NLCS, Brewers manager Pat Murphy is trying to backtrack the claims, but it may be too late
LOS ANGELES, CA—Entering Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the No. 3 seed in the National League, are on the cusp of knocking out the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series, needing just one more win to secure their second consecutive National League Pennant.
Still, coming into this series, the Brewers, despite having a Major League-best 97 wins this season and winning the National League Division Series over a good Chicago Cubs team with home-field advantage throughout the postseason, claimed an underdog narrative, whether intentional or not.
During the days leading up to the series, multiple quotes from Brewers manager Pat Murphy circulated around the sport and reached the Dodgers clubhouse, leading lefty Blake Snell to deny the validity of the “average Joes” statement.
Well, fast forward to now, with the Brewers in a deep hole, Murphy is starting to backtrack those comments, insisting that neither he nor the team created that underdog narrative before the start of the NLCS.
“I don’t think we’re creating an underdog mentality. There’s not one of you out there that predicted us to win over 81 games this year,” Murphy said. “Not one person. So when that happens, who are we? You know what I mean? Like, who are we?”
Murphy sees the Dodgers and Brewers as being at different levels regarding payroll and fame. He highlighted the skills of Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, and Jackson Chourio, but noted that they are not yet widely recognized.
“We don’t have the big-name payroll, we don’t have the big-name stars, although some are becoming recognizable,” Murphy said. “It’s not like we don’t have star power. But we don’t have $700 million guys, and we don’t have guys with $300 million contracts.
He thinks the Brewers are the underdogs for those reasons but maintains that this doesn’t mean they’re unprepared to face the Dodgers.
“But with all that said, we’re the underdog because we are. Now, underdog, meaning we’re not capable? I didn’t say not capable,” he said, “I’m just saying we’re the team that nobody predicted to win over 81 games anywhere.
“Maybe we won’t be underdogs in the future. But based on the things that predict success in the Major Leagues — you mentioned payroll, that’s a correlation between great success and great payroll.
“So you can bring it up if you want to, but I don’t bring it up with our guys. I just try to get them to play hard and believe they can.
Nevertheless, the damage is already done, as several former players and analysts are beginning to criticize Murphy and his management of the situation, now realizing that the claims of being the “underdog” are proving true.
Throughout the first three games of the series, the Brew Crew has scored just three runs on nine hits. Their starting rotation, or the absence of one, has the second-highest ERA among postseason teams, and their bullpen has been overused and faced too many different pitchers because of the chaotic pitching plan.
Still, despite all that, the Dodgers and their clubhouse never bought into the mindset that the Brewers were undogs with multiple players, and even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave his former colleague his flowers.
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