Brewers Pull Wade Miley From NLCS Game 5 Vs. Dodgers, Was Plan All Along

Playoff baseball is unpredictable and the Milwaukee Brewers certainly proved that Wednesday.

Wade Miley threw to just one batter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. He totaled five pitches before Brewers manager Craig Counsell removed the starting pitcher from the game at Dodger Stadium. Miley didn’t appear injured and no one really knew why the left-hander’s outing was cut short before being replaced by right-hander Brandon Woodruff.

Twitter had no idea what to think as the pitching change was made.

Wade Miley is done after just one batter. What the hell is going on?

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) October 17, 2018

I look away for one second and Wade Miley is out of the game, hello?

— Marc (@GiraffeNeckMarc) October 17, 2018

Holy cow. Wade Miley was merely the "opener." He walks Bellinger and he is gone. Never saw that coming.

— Tom (@Haudricourt) October 17, 2018

Apparently, there was nothing wrong with Miley. In fact, it was Milwaukee’s plan all along.

Removing Miley was Brewers’ plan. He will start Game 6.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 17, 2018

To summarize: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts set his Game 5 lineup for a left-handed pitcher. After Miley walked the leadoff batter, Counsell went to the right-handed Woodruff and Miley now will start Game 6.

This could either make Counsell look like a genius or it could completely backfire on him.