Woodruff, Peralta unconcerned by long layoff

LOS ANGELES -- After winning this wager all season long, the Brewers are betting that the benefit of rest trumps the threat of rust when it comes to scheduling their starting pitchers for the National League Division Series against the Braves.

Like they did with Corbin Burnes prior to his abbreviated outing against the Dodgers on Saturday, the Brewers presented Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta with a choice prior to Sunday’s regular-season finale: Would they like to pitch a couple of innings to “touch the mound,” as Burnes put it, one last time before the postseason, or would they rather do their work on the side and rest up for the Braves?

Burnes chose the former. Woodruff and Peralta opted for the latter, meaning they will have not pitched in a game for nearly two full weeks before taking the big stage against Atlanta.

“I think at this point, for me, I value the rest over the possibility of rust, if you want to say it like that,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “I don’t think they get rusty at this point, especially knowing that we can get them simulated work.”

The Brewers will take Monday off before working out at American Family Field on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday ahead of NLDS Game 1 there on Friday. It is in those sessions that Woodruff, Peralta and other Brewers pitchers will face hitters in live at-bats.

Rest has been part of the story for the Brewers’ terrific starting rotation this season as baseball reverted to a 162-game schedule following a shortened 60-game season in 2020. The Brewers employed a six-man rotation for much of the year, and as a result their starters rarely worked on what used to be considered the “normal” four days of rest. Eric Lauer led the staff with five starts on four days’ rest. Adrian Houser and Peralta made four such starts each. Burnes and Woodruff made only two such starts each.

• What's ahead? Brewers postseason FAQ

Counsell and the club have not yet announced any scheduled starters for the best-of-five NLDS against the Braves, bus history says they will have some surprises in store.

“I think when you get to the postseason, you should think of them as out-getters,” Counsell said. “We’ve got five guys we feel can give us a lot of outs in a game, and that’s a good place to start.”

No pun intended.

“Our guys understand because we’ve been in the playoffs, you’ve seen what the playoffs look like and how the games work,” Counsell said. “You understand that it’s just, ‘get outs.’ You have to somehow get 27 outs in a game. The flow of a season requires you to have some order and routine, and the playoffs just aren’t set up like that. And our players understand that.”

Milestone for Escobar
Eduardo Escobar didn’t top 50 games played until his third year in the Majors. He didn’t top 50 starts until his fourth year. And yet he kept performing and performing, to the point he collected career hit No. 1,000 in Saturday’s loss to the Dodgers.

Beyond the milestone, it continued a recent surge for the veteran midseason acquisition. Escobar was hitting .206 in September going into the Brewers’ final home series but went 10-for-28 over his next eight games, including multi-hit games Thursday in St. Louis and each of the first two nights at Dodger Stadium.

“I think you get to something like that close to the end of the year and it’s nice to achieve it,” Counsell said. “It’s a sign of longevity. It’s a sign of success. ‘Esky’ didn’t walk into this league as an everyday player, he’s worked his way into that and earned that and made himself a dangerous offensive player. It was cool that he got it.”

Last call
• Burnes offered no hints that he’d been given his assignment for the NLDS, but he’s a good bet for Game 1 and had this to say about that possibility: “If that’s the case, I’m going to go out there and give it everything I’ve got. I feel like I’ve done that for 28 starts this year. … The Braves are a good team and they’ve played some good baseball here at the end of the month to get into that postseason spot.”

• Shortstop Willy Adames has been careful on the basepaths since returning from a quad injury but continues to inch closer to 100 percent, saying, “[My legs] feel alright. I think they’re going to be ready for the postseason. We’ve got a couple days to rest up. I’ll try to get back to feeling normal and when we get to the postseason, just try to win the games. And, obviously, give 100 percent every day.”