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The Brewers' Tobias Myers is ending his rookie year with a strong playoff start

Posted on by Vanessa
The Brewers' Tobias Myers is ending his rookie year with a strong playoff start

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When Tobias Myers goes back to the clubhouse after the game after one of his starts, he always looks at his phone to see what text his mother, Angela, sent him.

Myers has become accustomed to the little message bubbles on his lock screen, short but forceful notes sent mid-game in the heat of the moment, usually on a similar topic to throwing more strikes.

When Myers returned to his locker Thursday night after the conclusion of Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series, there were no messages from his mother.

“She only texts me when she’s watching TV,” Myers said.

It wasn't just that either. Myers' start was so flawless that there was nothing to criticize.

Myers took the ball for the Milwaukee Brewers in the decisive game against the New York Mets and, in the presence of his family at American Family Field, delivered a start that, if the ninth inning had failed disastrously, would have been the decisive performance the club brought to the table its first playoff series win in five attempts.

The right-hander pitched five shutout innings, striking out five and allowing just two hits while maneuvering the lineup of the team with the highest payroll in baseball with passion and ease in Milwaukee's 4-2 loss to the Mets.

Myers' fastball topped out at 95 mph and topped out at 97 mph, a few ticks firmer than it had all season. His slider was sharp. That, along with pinpoint accuracy, was pretty much all he needed to shut out the Mets in two rounds of the batting order.

“He emptied the tank there in the fifth,” manager Pat Murphy said. “His last missions were a little shorter. He emptied the tank in the fifth and he was great. I’m really proud of this young man and everything he’s been through.”

For Myers, it was the culmination of a career-changing season.

The 26-year-old had already spent time with five organizations before joining the Brewers on a two-year minor league contract prior to the 2023 season. He had had a year in which he had been designated for assignment three times and finally released.

He spent almost all of last season at Class AA Biloxi, where he struggled to get out of the starting blocks, but toward the end of the year he began to find his rhythm with his new organization. When injuries struck the Brewers rotation earlier this season, it was Myers, who had gotten off to a strong start in Class AAA Nashville, who got the call.

Twenty-seven games and a 3.00 earned run average in the regular season – and a great playoff start – later, he had established himself as a future cornerstone of Milwaukee's rotation.

“Super grateful for the opportunity,” said Myers, summing up his wild ride this year. “Excited for the future.”

Thursday night was Myers' magnum opus, proving not only that he could handle dirty pitches with his right arm, but also that he could capture the magnitude of the moment with dogged determination and a cool exterior.

“That one had a sting”: Social media reaction to the Brewers' crushing playoff loss

More: Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick were on the verge of becoming postseason heroes before the Brewers failed in the ninth inning

“He’s not afraid,” first baseman Rhys Hoskins said. “He's been through a lot in the last few years of his career, trying to figure out who he is. That is who he is. He's shown that all year long. He showed that he belonged.”

The Brewers now know, if they didn't already, what they have for years to come.

It's just a shame it didn't end with a win.

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