MILWAUKEE — The Brewers’ hopes of reversing their recent postseason misfortune starts — quite literally — with Freddy Peralta. And he did the job while tying a franchise record.
The 29-year-old tied the Brewers’ postseason mark with nine strikeouts while delivering 5 2/3 innings against the Cubs in the Crew’s 9-3 win in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, just the sort of bulk and quality the Brewers were hoping to get from their Opening Day starter and unquestioned No. 1 pitcher.
He tied three franchise mainstays for the most strikeouts in a postseason game:
Peralta had a prime opportunity to become the first Brewers pitcher with double-digit strikeouts in a postseason game when he put Cubs left fielder Ian Happ into a two-strike count in the sixth. But Happ connected for a solo homer, then Carson Kelly singled to knock Peralta out of the game with the Brewers leading, 9-2.
