Brewers Edge Out Padres in Game 1 of the NLDS

The best-of-five National League Division Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres is one of the more exciting matchups in the MLB postseason. And Game 1—a thrilling 3-2 victory for the Brewers—absolutely delivered, showcasing an ending that was one of the oddest you’ll likely ever witness in Major League Baseball.

This season, the Brewers emerged as the top team in the league, while the Padres surged in the final stretch to secure their playoff spot, defeating the Chicago Cubs decisively in the Wild Card Round.

In this pivotal game, Brewers’ pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, a frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award, made his postseason debut. For the Padres, Robbie Ray took the mound as their starting pitcher.

Misiorowski immediately set a competitive tone by striking out Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr., which energized the already lively crowd at American Family Field.

However, the game took a turn in the second inning when DH Luis Campusano hit a single into right field with two runners on base, bringing in the first run for the Padres. They managed to extend their lead to 2-0 on a fielder’s choice shortly after.

The Brewers responded in the third inning with a two-run homer from Jackson Chourio, marking the hardest-hit home run of his young career.

With the game tied at two, Misiorowski exited after four innings, having allowed two runs on six hits while striking out six players.

In the seventh inning, Milwaukee brought in reliever Abner Uribe to face Tatis and Manny Machado, both of whom reached base. Things got tense when Uribe hit first baseman Ty France, loading the bases. Luckily for the Brewers, Uribe was replaced by lefty DL Hall, who managed to get Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill to fly out, escaping a big inning.

This was crucial because shortly afterward, Brewers catcher William Contreras took a 3-2 pitch from Adrian Morejon and knocked it into the right-center seats. Remarkably, that was only his second hit of the season against San Diego pitching.

Milwaukee faced another challenge in the eighth as the Padres left multiple runners on base—a trend that marked the night for both teams.

The ninth inning produced the game’s most peculiar moment when Ty France almost secured what seemed like a go-ahead, two-run homer. Instead, the ball struck a truss in the stadium’s roof and dropped straight down, allowing Jackson Chourio to make a vital catch.

Since the ball was still considered in play after hitting the roof, Chourio’s alertness preserved the Brewers’ lead. The Padres challenged the call, but the out remained intact.

Jackson Merrill then lined out to right field, sealing the game in favor of Milwaukee. It felt like a complete contest, but it’s interesting to think that such an unusual play decided the evening. Game 2 is set for Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee, and if it captures even a fraction of the excitement from Game 1, it’s going to be compelling viewing.