Even though it’s already been a couple days since Quinn Priester got his head handed to him by the Cubs in his first postseason appearance. His first inning implosion was neither the first of the season, nor will it be the last in the course of baseball history.

The former first-round pick of the Pirates had a breakout season for Milwaukee and took the mound in Game 3 of the NLDS between NL Central rivals. Heading into the start there were concerns that the pressure might be too much and while the outcome of the start might suggest that might have been the cause, his explanation was far more instructive. This isn’t a situation where a guy with a questionable 4.58 ERA or something. Mediocre players will often play to form and stink up the joint no matter the situation. However, when a pitcher greatly underperforms in a key moment, it’s only natural to look for explanations.

After giving up four runs in less than an inning (the first) and digging himself and the Brewers a hole they couldn’t extricate themselves from, he offered the following. ““I’m very frustrated with that first inning — [my] only inning,” Priester said. “Command wasn’t good. Stuff wasn’t coming out the way I wanted it to. Ultimately, it falls onto me to make an adjustment … to give us a chance. I didn’t do that today.

“I didn’t give us a chance. Everyone else played real well with the exception of myself. I definitely feel like that’s entirely on me.”

But it isn’t over. After missing their first chance to close out the Cubs, the Brewers will get (at most) two more.

It’s easy to blame nerves, poor mechanics, a tired arm, or lack of rest for a subpar performance instead of command + control issues and the inability to make adjustments within the game itself. One need look no further than two other starters in the series, Matt Boyd and Freddy Peralta. Boyd essentially had the same issues in his game one meltdown, but bounced back nicely and pitched more to the form the Cubs were accustomed to in Game 4. Peralta gave up a first inning homer in Game 1, but was able to make some in-game adjustments to settle down and earn the victory. However, he suffered the same fate in his start last night.

During the postseason, players are given shorter leashes and often don’t have the time to work things out. Keep an eye on Detroit’s manager A.J Hinch, who has already shown his willingness to pinch-hit for guys like Riley Greene and go through relievers as if you get a bonus for hitting the over.

There are way too many examples of great pitchers not pitching to form during the postseason. They may be in a funk or maybe the opponents have the guy’s number. There is no science as to guessing when a player gets out of his funk, it’s more an art.

We’ll see how tonight’s pitchers do and if the team that lives to see another day, will have enough in the tank to beat Toronto in the ALCS. The same goes tomorrow night when the winner will move on to face the Dodgers.