Dustin May’s rough finish to the regular season has not shaken the Brewers’ plan for the National League Division Series. Milwaukee will send the right-hander to the mound for Tuesday’s Game 3 at Petco Park, trusting both his track record against San Diego and the October innings he logged earlier in his career with the Dodgers.
May gets the Game 3 assignment
Manager Pat Murphy announced the decision before Game 2, making clear that May was acquired with moments like this in mind. The Brewers landed May and reliever JoJo Romero from the Cardinals at the Trade Deadline, and May’s postseason background helped separate him in a tight rotation decision.
“We brought him in to do that,” Murphy said.
May also gave Milwaukee a strong body of work against the Padres during the regular season. Across three starts against San Diego — two while he was with St. Louis and one after joining the Brewers — he posted a 1.23 ERA and struck out 22 hitters over 22 innings.
- Game: National League Division Series Game 3
- Date: Tuesday
- Site: Petco Park
- Brewers starter: Dustin May
- 2026 results against the Padres: 1.23 ERA in three starts
- Strikeouts against San Diego: 22 in 22 innings
Murphy said May’s season-long results against the Padres stood above the rest of the available options, while his familiarity with playoff pressure made the roster call straightforward.
A strong beginning gave way to a difficult stretch
The assignment comes after an uneven close to May’s regular season. His first two starts for Milwaukee went well: three earned runs allowed over 13 innings. Then the right-hander hit a difficult patch, finishing 1-2 with a 7.61 ERA across his final eight appearances.
The slide began at home against Seattle, where May was tagged for seven runs in two innings. His next major interruption came on Aug. 26 at Citi Field, when a line drive back through the box hit him on the first pitch of his outing against the Mets and forced him from the game.
May took the ball again four days later but yielded four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Rangers. After that outing, he did not hide his frustration.
“It sucks to be sucking right now,” May said.
Brewers see enough in the stuff and the matchup
September did not bring an easy turnaround, though Milwaukee remained encouraged by May’s pure arsenal. Rather than stretching him out for conventional starter workloads, the club used him more frequently and in shorter assignments over his final three regular-season outings.
That sequence ended with a three-inning start against the Cardinals on Sept. 26. Now the Brewers will ask May to convert his strong Padres history into a meaningful October start.
Milwaukee has also built protection into its NLDS pitching staff. Depending on how Game 2 affects the bullpen, the Brewers expect to have several capable options ready if May’s outing turns early.
Potential length behind May
- Robert Gasser is fully stretched out and available as a left-handed option.
- Shane Drohan gives Milwaukee another left-handed starter working from the bullpen.
- Kyle Harrison finished the regular season in shorter relief-style appearances and is also part of that group.
For the Brewers, the Game 3 decision is less about pretending May’s September did not happen than it is about backing the pitcher who has already found a formula against the Padres. Tuesday will show whether that matchup edge can carry into the postseason.
