It took one NLDS inning for Cubs to learn hard October truth about Craig Counsell

It's safe to say the Milwaukee Brewers were fired up to get a shot at Craig Counsell and the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS. While Michael Busch led off the top of the first with a homer to give the road team a 1-0 lead, Brewers starter Freddy Peralta settled in from there. And when it was Milwaukee's turn at bat in the bottom half, they promptly began a barrage for the ages:

The first three Brewers batters doubled off of Cubs starter Matthew Boyd — who Chicago tapped on just three days' rest, despite having other options like Colin Rea available — to put Milwaukee ahead. And that was just the beginning of the barrage: Eight of the first 10 hitters to come to the plate reached base, and by the time the dust settled, Boyd was out of the game and the Brewers had turned their early deficit into a commanding 6-1 advantage.

It was a shocking turn of events; one moment it seemed like the "same old October Brewers" vibes were settling in around American Family Field, and the next the game had gotten totally out of hand. (By the time the second inning ended, Michael Soroka had given up three more runs in relief.)

Getting torched to start a postseason series against a bitter division rival is bad enough. But adding insult to injury for the Cubs is the fact that Milwaukee's early offense seems directly tied to a strategic edge the team was able to get over on its former manager.

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Brewers sprung a trap on Craig Counsell and the Cubs in NLDS Game 1

When asked before Game 1 about how Brewers manager Pat Murphy, Counsell's right-hand man when the latter was still in Milwaukee, had imprinted his style on this team, Craig Counsell was all too blunt: "They don't swing," he said, while complimenting Murphy on the culture he's built this season.

And really, Counsell wasn't wrong: The Brewers entered this series as one of the most patient teams in the league, ranking sixth in pitches seen per plate appearance at 3.93. It seemed fair for Cubs pitchers to think that they could attack the strike zone early in hopes of getting ahead in the count.

But it didn't take Milwaukee long to flip that idea on its ear. Six of the first eight Brewers hitters swung at the first pitch, including back-to-back doubles from Brice Turang and William Contreras on the first offerings they saw from Boyd. Milwaukee didn't expand the zone too much, but whenever Boyd would try and attack, they were ready to pounce, making solid contact all over the place.

Maybe this is all mere coincidence. But it sure seems like Murphy was aware of his team's trend, and how his former boss would try and exploit it. The Brewers entered Game 1 determined to play against type, and they caught Chicago napping — and grabbed this series by the neck — as a result.

This is harsh Craig Counsell truth that Milwaukee knew all too well

Of course, the subtext here is that Counsell is no stranger to nightmare starts in the postseason. The only twist is that those starts used to happen to Milwaukee: The Brewers lost their first playoff series in four of Counsell's last five years with the team, including three Wild Card round losses over that span.

Now, though, Counsell is in Chicago, having abandoned the Brewers in hopes of gaining access to more resources and a better roster. But he's learning now that Jed Hoyer's leadership in Chicago might not actually be all he cracked it up to be; and the Cubs, meanwhile, are learning that maybe Counsell should've borne his share of the blame for all of those early October exits.

Call it overthinking, or getting too cute, or simply wilting under the pressure, or whatever else you want. The fact is that Counsell's teams have consistently played small in these spots, for all of the regular-season success he's enjoyed over the course of his managerial career. Getting pantsed by his former bench coach, who expertly zigged when Counsell and Co. expected him to zag, is just the latest example, one that now has the Cubs approaching a crisis point.