@AdamMcCalvy on X
If the Milwaukee Brewers fail to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS and reach the World Series, then second baseman Brice Turang might have a moment that will haunt him for life.
Turang, a former first-round pick, came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 against the Dodgers with the bases loaded and a chance to tie it or win the game for the Brewers.
Milwaukee trailed 2-1, and Turang faced a 1-2 could against Los Angeles reliever Blake Treinen. Treinen reared back and delivered a slider that took off right toward Turang’s back leg.
However, with the opportunity to stand their, get hit by the pitch, and tie the game, Turang’s instincts said otherwise. Rather than take one for the team, Turang jumped out of the way, and the pitch went harmlessly by for a ball.
Brice Turang was inches from wearing a game-tying hit by pitch. Instinct took him out of the way.
“Well, if you see me look in the dugout, I’m thinking, ‘Damn.’ I know it. Everybody knows it. I couldn’t tell you why I did it, I just got out of the way. That’s just how it is.” pic.twitter.com/O5L41RRraL
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) October 14, 2025
One pitch later, he struck out on a fastball well up out of the zone. After the game, he explained what happened.
Brice Turang Says Instincts Got The Best Of Him
Naturally, to some degree, when someone hurls an object at you that would cause harm if it makes contact, your brain is going to alert your body to move out of the way.
Now, plenty of athletes have trained their brains to ignore that response. Turang, however, is not one of them.
“Well, if you see me look in the dugout, I’m thinking, ‘Damn,'” Turang said. “I know it. Everybody knows it. I couldn’t tell you why I did it. I just got out of the way. That’s just how it is.”
Unfortunately, it didn’t dawn on Turang until too late that he should’ve just dealt with the pain of getting hit by the pitch.
“You turn your leg, you wear it,” he said. “Just like a natural reaction to get out of the way. The last pitch, he’s a big sinker guy. He threw a four-seamer up at the top. That’s just what it is. You move on. As much as it sucks, you move on.”
Rather than crucify his platinum glove second baseman, Brewers manager Pat Murphy attempted to provide some perspective.
“When the ball is coming towards you, your natural thing — it’s a breaking ball, your natural thing is to do that,” Murphy said. “And I know he was thinking the same thing after the ball passed. It happens. He’ll learn from that situation. But it’s hard. Even if you try to maneuver yourself, it’s hard to get hit by the pitch because it’s so reactionary.”
You can understand why Murphy wouldn’t throw his player under the bus, especially not publicly. But in a series where the margins are so slim, Turang’s self-presevation instincts could prove immensely costly.