Why Brewers' Pat Murphy Was 'Emotional' Following Walk-Off Winner

The Milwaukee Brewers couldn't afford a sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins, and they all knew it.

Luckily, Blake Perkins came to the rescue.

On Sunday, Perkins delivered a walk-off single against the Marlins' Cade Gibson to give his team a 3-2 win in the series finale. That kept the Brewers in a tie for first place in the National League Central heading into a showdown with the Chicago Cubs this week.

Perkins, who fractured his shin during spring training, missed nearly four months of action before returning to the lineup at long last on Jul. 18. That's why his manager, Pat Murphy, was reportedly choking back tears when talking about his outfielder's walk-off.

"It was emotional for me to see Perk come through right there. That was huge,” Murphy said, per Rich Rovito of MLB.com.

“I said to him last year when he was going through a rough time, ‘I will never send you down,’” Murphy continued. “I told him, ‘I just love who you are and I love what you bring to the team.’ He’s the ultimate team guy. He’s special.”

Perkins is only hitting .277 with a .655 OPS since his return, so it's not as though the Brewers suddenly got a pseudo-trade deadline acquisition. But he clearly means a lot to the clubhouse, and he's an outstanding defensive center fielder who can help as a platoon option or defensive replacement in the postseason.

Murphy is known for being a tough customer, but Brewers players know he has their back. His fondness for Perkins is just another example of how much he values players who put the team above all else, which is a huge reason this group has overachieved throughout his two-year tenure.