Zack Grienke's trade to Milwaukee this past offseason was supposed to allow the right-hander the chance to pitch - and presumably shine - in the playoffs.
Instead, Grienke was pulled in his first career postseason start after giving up four earned runs (including a season high three homers for Grienke) in five innings and blowing a 4-1 Brewers lead. Milwaukee would rally with a five run sixth inning to take a 9-4 win and a 2-0 series lead in the National League Divisional Series.
Grienke's second consecutive start on short rest was supposed to be home field insurance for the Milwaukee Brewers, who won all 15 of the pitcher's starts in Miller Park this season. Per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
"It was a lot more normal than I thought it would be," Greinke said of pitching in front of a sellout crowd of 44,066 in his first playoff experience."Just kind of felt like a normal game and maybe I focused just a little bit harder on every pitch. But for the most part I was just going out and pitching. I didn't really have any more energy or anything than just a normal game."
After seven seasons and 60 wins with the Royals, Grienke specifically cited a frustration with losing and a desire to pitch in October as his reasons for leaving Kansas City. One game does not a trend make, and Milwaukee assumes Grienke, well-worn through the regular season, simply needs time off.
"We weren't going to push him much more than that anyway," said Roenicke. "If he'd have been cruising through and got through five innings with 70 pitches and thought he was throwing the ball real well, we probably would have let him go back out another inning."It certainly wasn't his best game, but I still thought he threw well."