Brewers Make Quinn Priester Announcement After Using Him As Decoy

No gamesmanship in Chicago this time...

Aug 30, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Quinn Priester (46) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

No one can say for sure whether it mattered, but the Milwaukee Brewers certainly didn't want to tip their hand to the Chicago Cubs before Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

Beyond announcing lefty Aaron Ashby as the opener, the Brewers made no announcements about who would pitch and when. Then, on Monday night, they trotted starting pitcher Quinn Priester out to the bullpen to warm up alongside Ashby, seemingly a signal that he was in line to pitch later in the game.

Instead, Priester sat around in the bullpen for three hours as the Brewers dominated the Cubs, 7-3, to move within one game of the championship series.

Priester to start Game 3

Sep 26, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Quinn Priester (46) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

For Game 3, there will be no gimmicks. Priester was announced as the team's starter after the game on Monday night (per ESPN Milwaukee), and the team proudly published a graphic on social media echoing the announcement on the Tuesday off-day.

During the regular season, Priester went 13-3 with a 3.35 ERA over 157 1/3 innings. Milwaukee lost his final start of the season against the Cincinnati Reds, but before that, the club rattled off an insane streak of 19 straight wins in games started by the 25-year-old.

Once a first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Priester struggled in limited opportunities in the big leagues in both 2023 and 2024. But after two trades (first to the Boston Red Sox, then Milwaukee), he seems to have found a home.

Priester said he was happy to help his team any way he could, hence the willingness to pretend as if he was pitching on Monday night when it was never in the plans. But on Wednesday, in front of a hostile and desperate crowd at Wrigley Field, he'll be under a whole new spotlight.

Chicago is countering Priester with righty Jameson Taillon, another former Pirate and the starter in the team's series-clinching win last week over the San Diego Padres. First pitch from Wrigley will be at 4:08 p.m. CT.

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