Laurie Sisk: 'Ghostriders' lead Brewers to 2-0 start in NLCS

The Milwaukee Brewers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in its best-of-seven National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and two “Ghostriders” have been an integral part of the team’s postseason success.For those not in the know, “Ghostriders” is the honorary term given to former Crowder College Roughriders.Missouri has sent the Brewers two of its best pitchers in Jacob Misiorowski, of Blue Springs, and Aaron Ashby, of Kansas City, as Milwaukee vies for its first World Series championship. I hope they appreciate what we have sent them.Milwaukee is one of just five teams — the others are the Seattle Mariners, the San Diego Padres, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Colorado Rockies — who have yet to win it all. Misiorowski and Ashby could be instrumental in narrowing that list to four and give Brewers fans a World Series title.Milwaukee fans deserve it. They have been faithful even in the worst of times. I started my decade as a Wisconsinite in 1982, the only year in which the Brewers made it to a World Series.As a lifelong Cardinals fan, I stood alongside my Wisconsin friends as the Cardinals beat the then-American League Brewers in a seven-game series.I gained a lot of respect for Brewers fans during that series and spent my fair share of time in the decade I lived in Madison traveling to the old Milwaukee County Stadium and cheering along with them while still holding the Cardinals No. 1 in my heart.Back in 1982, it wasn’t the pitchers who led the Brewers — though they did have Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers in their bullpen — it was their offense, including Paul Molitor, Robin Yount and former Cardinals’ catcher Ted Simmons.Today, the Brewers still have a strong offense, but they are buoyed by what I believe is the best pitching staff in baseball, including the two former Crowder College pitchers.Despite not getting his slider on track Sunday in the series opener in Milwaukee, Misiorowski showed a lot of grit as he led the Brew Crew to a 2-1 win over the Dodgers.The flamethrowing starter and favorite to win the NL Cy Young award gave up one run on five hits while striking out five and walking three in 4 1/3 innings.It wasn’t a typical Misiorowski domination of hitters, as we’ve seen all season, but it showed the young fireballer can gut it out even when his slider isn’t working. I hope that gives the young Misiorowski confidence moving forward.“The Miz” had a rough second inning in the series opener that included 35 pitches. He showed real grit after loading the bases with a 10-pitch walk of Kyle Tucker, inducing an inning-ending double play on an Enrique Hernandez at-bat to get out of the jam.The Brewers bullpen took over in the fifth inning in Game 1, including two no-hit innings by fellow Roughrider Aaron Ashby, who struck out one and walked one.Ashby earned the save in Milwaukee’s 7-4 Game 2 win Monday. He gave up no runs and no hits while striking out two and walking none in 1 2/3 innings of relief.The Kansas City native was part of a performance by Milwaukee’s bullpen that went five straight innings without allowing a Dodger to reach base, setting a MLB postseason record.All season, Ashby has been an important part of the Brewers bullpen and so far has had an impressive postseason, giving up just two hits while striking out eight and walking three in 9 1/3 total innings.Ashby earned the win in Game 3 of the divisional series against the San Diego Padres, giving up no runs and no hits in three innings and sending the Brewers to the league championship series.Logging wins is nothing foreign for the reliever; he leads all of baseball with 13.The series moves to Los Angeles on Wednesday. Misiorowski is expected to start Friday’s Game 5, if it’s necessary.