Craig Counsell ripped for his controversial decision in NLDS Game 1

Game 1 of the NLDS didn’t exactly get off to a great start for Craig Counsell and the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs faced off on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, Counsell’s former team, for the opener of their best-of-five playoff series. While Chicago got the scoring started on a Michael Busch leadoff homer in the top of the first at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisc., it was all Milwaukee from there.

Cubs starter Matthew Boyd took the hill in the bottom of the first … and managed to record just two outs. Boyd gave up three straight hits to begin the frame and proceeded to allow another walk and a single as the Brewers quickly took a 4-1 lead on him. The Cubs manager Counsell then pulled Boyd and replaced him with Michael Soroka, who went on to allow two more inherited runners to score make it 6-1 in favor of Milwaukee.

While Boyd was also unlucky that Chicago second baseman Nico Hoerner made a fielding error that kept the train going for the Brewers, it was clear that Boyd didn’t anything close to his best stuff. That was seemingly predictable too given that Boyd had just started in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres and was thus on only three days’ rest.

As a result, fans destroyed Counsell over social media for the decision to start Boyd in a crucial Game 1.