
via Imago
Credits: Imago

via Imago
Credits: Imago
The Milwaukee Brewers pulled off something special when they defeated the Cubs in a thrilling winner-take-all Game 5 of the NL Division Series, clinching their first playoff series victory since 2018. The win punched their ticket to the NLCS. Standing in their way? The former World Series champions, the Dodgers. Prior to the series, Brewers manager Pat Murphy played the underdog by stating, “Most Dodgers players can’t name eight guys on our roster.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts dismissed this by stating, “We know the act.” Now, with the Dodgers leading the series 2-0, Murphy’s latest remarks have drawn criticism from his own fanbase.
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The Dodgers wasted no time asserting their dominance in the opening games of the NLCS. In the first two games, Milwaukee’s offense was shut down by the Dodgers’ opening pitching. In Game 1, Blake Snell pitched eight shutout innings, giving up only one hit and striking out ten batters. The next night, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a complete game and gave up only one run on three hits. Through two games, the Brewers managed little resistance.
After witnessing Snell’s dominance, Pat Murphy made a comment that surprised both fan bases. “Snell makes more money than our entire pitching staff, and it’s for good reason,” he told reporters, as posted on X by Matthew Moreno of Dodgers Blue. The statement immediately drew scrutiny, with many interpreting it as Murphy throwing his own players under the bus.
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Brewers manager Pat Murphy: “Snell makes more money than our entire pitching staff, and it’s for good reason.”
— Matthew Moreno (@Matthew__Moreno) October 15, 2025
Well, since the beginning of the series, the skipper has been trying to paint an underdog narrative focusing on the difference between the payrolls of both clubhouses. The Boys in Blue payroll stands at $320M, while the Small Market Fighters payroll stands at $130M. However, the Roberts and co. knows that they have dominated the whole season and have a franchise-record 97 wins.
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Roberts saw through Pat Murphy’s strategy from the start. “That’s just kind of how Murph is,” Roberts said in his press conference before Game 1. “He tries to get into a psyche, and he’s telling his team the opposite behind closed doors…He’s going to have his guys prepared.” And even Blake Snell, who is inked under a five-year, $182 million contract, said, “I’m not falling for the ‘Average Joes’. They’re not. They have the best record in the NL. They’re a really good team.”
Now, whether Murphy’s approach is a calculated strategy or genuine defeatism, the reaction from fans suggests it’s backfiring spectacularly.
Fan reactions:
Criticisizing his own team? Um, the fans aren’t liking it. While underdog stories resonate in sports, there’s a fine line between motivating your squad and diminishing their accomplishments. One fan captured this sentiment. “Pat Murphy is doing a great job of making himself and the Brewers unlikable.” This remark suggests frustration with the skipper’s approach. The Brewers won 97 games in the regular season, showcasing strong pitching and timely hitting. In 2025, they proved they could compete with anyone despite payroll differences. By focusing on financial disparities, Murphy risks undermining his team’s achievements and portraying them as victims instead of competitors.
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Another fan pushed back against the entire premise of Murphy’s payroll argument: “If bigger payrolls were the key to winning, all of the playoff teams would just be the top 6 payrolls from each league.” There’s no denying, in fact, there’s a difference of $200M between the payrolls of both ballclubs, but it’s not the only factor that makes the team NLCS worthy. We have seen how the NYM didn’t make it to the playoffs despite having a payroll of $340M, which is more than the Dodgers.
Some fans think Murphy’s statements mean he’s giving up mentally by telling his players they can’t win after just two losses. The comment read, “Dudes trashing his own team and he doesn’t even know it. Haha yeah we got here by luck, but now we don’t have a chance in hell, cause those guys make a lot of money. Why even show up?” The Brewers’ pitchers worked all season to reach this moment, sweeping all six regular-season meetings against the Dodgers, proving they could compete regardless of payroll differences. Now their manager suggesting they’re fundamentally overmatched isn’t expected. Brewers manager Pat Murphy’s latest comment about the Dodgers has fans questioning his approach as Milwaukee trails 2-0 in the NLCS after dominating LA all season.
Another sarcastic jab, “He keeps treating his millionaire players like they’re Tiny Tim and that they sleep in a factory eating slop.”Yes, Snell’s contract is higher than the Brewers’ payroll, but that doesn’t mean the Brewers players aren’t worth it! Let’s not forget that they maintained control over the Boys in Blue during the regular season. Additionally, they became the third team on record to sweep L.A. in a season series of at least five games.
Some suggested that, despite working on off-field tactics, the teams must focus on on-field performance. “Maybe the Brewers would be better off if their manager spent less time crying and more time preparing!” The Brewers need to win the next four games if they wanna enter the October Glory for the first time since 1982 and complete the dream of clinching their first World Series ring.
Pat Murphy’s underdog narrative may be a strategy, but with fans turning critical, the Brewers need wins, not excuses.
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