Jun 15, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of the Milwaukee Brewers logo on seating within American Family Field prior to the game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Facing Elimination, Brewers Officially Announce NLCS Game 4 Starter

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Oct 17, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers trail the National League Championship Series 3-0, and will have one more chance to stay alive in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

They are facing elimination on the road, which is a tall task, especially against the defending champions. Only the 2004 Boston Red Sox have overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series to win, so history is not on their side.

For Games 1 and 3 of the series, Milwaukee started left-hander Aaron Ashby as their opener and turned things over to Quinn Priester and Jacob Misiorowski. That will not be the case for Game 4.

Brewers Announce Game 4 Starter

According to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, Milwaukee has elected to go with veteran left-hander Jose Quintana as they try to get back into the series.

The 36-year-old was signed late in spring training, but performed well with the Brewers this season despite a few injuries. The 14-year veteran went 11-7 in 24 starts with a 3.96 ERA.

Milwaukee has dealt with several injuries this season, and they have significantly impacted the starting rotation. Brandon Woodruff is on the shelf with a lat injury.

Ultimately, Quintana is their best option for Game 4 of this series. He has pitched in the postseason before, having success in 2022 with the St. Louis Cardinals and last year with the New York Mets, helping guide them to the NLCS.

Going with an opener would not be a wise strategy for the Brewers as they face elimination. The veteran lefty was expected to be used in Game 3, but Milwaukee ultimately went to Misiorowski after Ashby's exit in the first inning.

But with Misiorowksi unavailable, Quintana is essentially the last line of defense for the Brewers in terms of starting pitching. He will be opposed by Shohei Ohtani as he tries to keep the Brewers season alive.

The odds are certainly not in favor of the Brewers, but their only hope now is to try and pull off a comeback from down 3-0. No team in National League history has done that.

It will be interesting to see what happens in Game 4. The Brewers need to get length out of Quintana if they hope to have any chance of staving off elimination and surviving at least one more day.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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