The Chicago Cubs said all the right things after getting absolutely shellacked by the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the NLDS. The players, for the most part, admitted their mistakes but also admitted that one games in a best-of-five series doesn’t determine the end result. They’re right about that. However, manager Craig Counsell – who used to be the skipper of the Brewers – appeared to take the loss to Milwaukee harder than most.

It was Counsell’s call to start Matthew Boyd for Game 1. Boyd didn’t extend himself in the NL Wild Card series against the Padres, and thus was lobbying to start the Division Series opener as well. Counsell eventually relented, and it backfired, as Boyd gave up four hits and two runs in less than one inning pitched.

“Probably since Matthew got to the dugout in Game 1, he was thinking about pitching this game,” Counsell said. “If this was a normal start and he threw 90 pitches, we wouldn’t consider this. But because he threw so few pitches, he knew he was going to be able to recover, and we thought he’d be able to recover quickly.”

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Craig Counsell looked defeated during and after Game 1

Losing to his former team had to be a rude awakening – especially in the postseason – but the Cubs pay Counsell $8 million per season to roll with the punches. Counsell and Chicago were dealt a bad hand in Game 1. The Brewers had far more rest, and the Cubs were unable to align their pitching staff accordingly. It is Counsell’s job to respond in Game 2.

It sounds like his players are ready to do so, but is the skipper? While it’s natural for anyone associated with the Cubs to look defeated in the middle of a blowout postseason defeat, Counsell took it extra hard.

Here was Counsell as the Brewers scored their eighth run of the game and essentially put the Cubs out of their misery. While the Cubs manager is never one to wear his emotion on his sleeve, his mannerisms say it all.

Postgame, Counsell lost his composure during a postgame presser, and appeared lost for words when asked a relatively simple question by the media.

It’s Counsell’s jobs to be able to take these questions and handle them well enough to take pressure off his team. On Saturday, he failed to do either, hence the overall lack of Counsell quotes in most postgame columns.

Thankfully for Counsell, Cubs players have the right mindset

Counsell had some tough moments in Saturday’s Game 1, but for the most part, his leaders have responded well to some adversity. One loss is just that, and in a best-of-five series against a division rival, anything can happen. The Cubs could get hot.

“The beauty of this time of year is one loss counts as one loss,” Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said.

The task remains the same,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “And the group’s confidence is incredibly high, even though today isn’t what we wanted.”

These quotes were echoed around the Cubs clubhouse. Chicago believes in the talent at their disposal. The Brewers present a unique challenge, as they finished the regular season with the best record in all of baseball, but by no means are the Cubs finished.

Bad games happen. It’s time Counsell realizes that as well, even when the losses hurt a little more.