Milwaukee secured a 3-2 victory over San Diego in the opener of their National League Division Series on Saturday night at American Family Field. The Brewers overcame an early deficit with a pair of home runs, including a go-ahead shot by William Contreras in the seventh inning, to take the lead in the best-of-five series.
Jackson Chourio sparked Milwaukee’s offense with a two-run homer in the third inning off Padres starter Robbie Ray, tying the game at 2-2. Chourio’s fifth career postseason home run marks the most by a Brewers player in franchise history. Contreras’ decisive homer came with two outs in the seventh, a 406-foot blast to center field off reliever Adrian Morejon that gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead.
The Padres had seized the advantage early, scoring two runs in the second against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski. Xander Bogaerts singled, followed by Ethan Salas, and Luis Campusano brought home a run with an RBI single. Salas later scored on a fielder’s choice, putting San Diego ahead 2-0 before Milwaukee even reached the plate.
Misiorowski, who led the majors in ERA (1.80) and strikeouts (252) during the regular season, was limited to four innings, allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts while throwing 88 pitches. Padres manager Craig Stammen praised his team’s offense despite the loss, noting their strong at-bats against Milwaukee’s pitching staff.
A pivotal moment occurred in the ninth inning with San Diego down by one run. Ty France hit a towering fly ball that appeared to clear the fence for a go-ahead two-run homer. However, the ball struck the roof of the stadium and was caught by Chourio on the warning track, resulting in an out. Under ground rules at American Family Field, any batted ball hitting the roof in fair territory can still be caught for an out. The Padres challenged the call, claiming the ball was foul, but the ruling was upheld.
Following the catch, Jackson Merrill lined out to end the game. Padres closer Trevor Megill recorded a scoreless ninth inning for the save after fanning Fernando Tatis Jr. in the eighth. Milwaukee’s bullpen also played a significant role, with left-hander DL Hall entering in the seventh to secure the final out against San Diego, which left bases loaded.
Milwaukee’s victory marks their 16th win in the last 19 games, while San Diego has lost only four times in their last 24 outings. Brewers manager Pat Murphy credited his team’s resilience and timely hitting, noting that although they were not perfect, they earned the win. The Padres had entered the postseason strong as well, having swept the Chicago Cubs in their wild-card series and winning 17 of their last 20 regular-season games.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee.