If you polled Milwaukee Brewers fans before the playoffs on who their best starting pitcher would be this postseason, Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson would run away with the title. If you told them their best starter was actually Robert Gasser, they'd assume Milwaukee had melted down in the playoffs once again. Instead, Gasser has defied expectations, and the Brewers are one win from their first World Series victory in franchise history.
Bobby Diesel, as he's affectionately called, became the first rookie starter to throw six scoreless innings with only one hit in a World Series game, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. The 27-year-old finished with three strikeouts and only one hit and a walk in six scoreless innings, earning credit for a resounding World Series win in the process.
He also became the first lefty since Sandy Koufax in 1965 to face the minimum through six innings of a World Series game, and the first World Series starter to face the minimum through six innings since Curt Schilling in 2001.
Gasser has taken a significant leap in his three postseason starts after posting a 3.87 ERA and a 5-5 record in 20 starts this season. But in three Playoff starts, he's allowed just one earned run in 15 innings, with nine strikeouts to show for it. Just like the rest of this Milwaukee Brewers squad, he's defying all the odds, and in his case, proving he's far greater than his injury history would suggest.
Robert Gasser is an MLB Playoffs hero for the Brewers, carrying the torch for his co-starters Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson.
Playing under the bright lights of the biggest stage in the sport, some of the flaws facing starters Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson were exposed a bit in this postseason. By the Miz's standard, that means posting a 2.70 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 13.1 innings, which is no indictment of his talent. It only means the batters he was facing and the managers' game plans exposed some of the gaps the presumptive Cy Young Award winner will need to close in his game over time.
It's been a bit shaky for Henderson, whose 4.50 ERA and 10 runs allowed hurt Milwaukee when they needed him most. However, Henderson's talent remains clearly apparent, and his role with the club is secured, so there's nothing to get up in arms about here.
What this points to, however, is the talent and poise of Robert Gasser to rise to the occasion every time his name has been called this postseason. Even if he's not throwing the most strikeouts or hurling 105 MPH fastballs like The Miz, his cerebral game, even-keeled tempo, and tireless work on his mechanics are paying off massively.
Through three games, Gasser has been the best starting pitcher in the World Series, and that's something Milwaukee Brewers fans will not soon forget. At this point, it's fair to expect him to be a pivotal member of this Brewers pitching rotation for many years to come.
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