Josh Hader throws a season-high 46 pitches and records nine huge outs in another unconventional bullpen maneuver

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader has a single to his credit this year as a hitter, but taking swings is definitely not his cup of tea.

"I personally do not get any at-bats or practice it at all," he said after his team held on for a 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night at Miller Park in the first game of the National League Championship Series. "I do not like hitting; that's why I became a pitcher. I couldn't hit a fastball. Or a curveball. Now, I figured out I can't hit a changeup."

On a night when one of the biggest stories was bullpen-mate Brandon Woodruff taking Clayton Kershaw deep, Hader delivered a huge performance in a more traditional setting, on the mound. Under the category of "the Brewers aren't messing around," an opponent saw more of Hader on Friday night than ever before this season, a season-high 46 pitches.

"I threw Josh out there because he was throwing the ball really well, and I thought once he had two innings, he was down (unavailable) for tomorrow anyway, and so he's got two days off now and he'll be ready to go again," manager Craig Counsell said.

It meant Hader would have to bat in the sixth, with results that didn't match Woodruff at all; Hader struck out on four pitches. But in a game that became tense in the final moments, each of his nine outs recorded on defense proved crucial.

Hader checked into the game even after the Brewers had taken a 5-1 lead and struck out four batters while allowing two hits from the fifth to the seventh. As Milwaukee's bullpen usage garners more and more attention, it was another unconventional play.

"I thought there was a scenario kind of after Josh got three innings where we could avoid Corey (Knebel) tonight and have him available for something longer tomorrow, but it just didn't work out," Counsell said. "They battled back and made it tough on us, as we expected. So they had a really good eighth inning with some big hits. We couldn't get through it and we had to use our guys."

That featured Jeremy Jeffress checking into the eighth inning with the bases loaded and allowing all three inherited runners to score. Knebel took the ninth and allowed a two-out RBI triple before stranding the tying run on third base.

Still, Counsell expects all the pitchers will be available Saturday except Hader.

"He's got two days off, and then he'll be good to go," Counsell said.

Friday was only the second time Hader had worked a full three innings this season, matching a July 3 outing when he held a 2-0 lead against the Twins. But he also worked deeper than 2 innings on three other occasions and reached two innings on 19 more. He worked 1 1/3 innings in the first game of the NLDS against the Rockies.

"I've just get back out there and get outs," Hader said of his extended usage. "I've got to give it my all, give 100 percent and put the team in a good position to stay in the lead."

Hader has worked 5 1/3 postseason innings, allowing the two hits with eight strikeouts. 

"We won the ballgame, that's the ending accomplishment right there, getting that win," Hader said.