The San Diego Padres entered the postseason as Major League Baseball’s hottest team, and played like it against the Chicago Cubs in the wild card series. Completely shutting down of the league’s best offenses, the Padres rolled by a combined score of 12-1 in the first round.
Their offense, led by a resurgent Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill, along with strong contributions from unexpected sources like Dustin Harris, Luis Campusano and Ty France, looked formidable. And typically aggressive trades brought in Robbie Ray to strengthen the rotation behind Michael King and Nick Pivetta. The Padres run through September was magical, going 18-6 to clinch a playoff berth and home field in the wild card series.
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But in a sign of how quickly things can change in October, their division round matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers has shown how “magic” is unpredictable.
NO, THE SAN DIEGO PADRES DIDN’T LOSE BECAUSE OF CONTROVERSIAL NINTH INNING HOME RUN RULING
Padres first baseman Ty France reacts after his almost certain home run ricocheted off the stadium’s roof and was caught for an out. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
The Brewers won game one 3-2 in controversial fashion after France crushed a towering fly ball that hit the American Family Field roof and fell harmlessly into the glove of outfielder Jackson Chourio. The same Chourio that hit a mammoth two-run homer off Ray to tie the score earlier in the game. It wouldn’t be his last big moment of the weekend.
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Desperately needing a win on Sunday to tie the series 1-1 heading back to the tremendous home field advantage at Petco Park, San Diego sent their ace, King, to the mound against Logan Henderson. And he was once again brilliant. King went five innings, allowed just three hits and one run with no walks while striking out six.
For most of the game, it looked like that would be enough. But as the old adage goes, it’s never over until it’s over.
The Padres jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning on a Ty France single, then added another with some uncharacteristically poor defense from Milwaukee. In the 6th, Brice Turang made an error on a routine double play ball from Tatis that allowed him to reach and sent Campusano to third base with one out. Harris grounded into a force out that let Campusano score to extend it to 2-0.
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Milwaukee scratched across a run in the 6th, but San Diego once again got it back thanks to Ty France. But in the 7th, the defensive miscue tables turned. Second baseman Jake Cronenworth made an error on a David Hamilton grounder, letting Garrett Mitchell score to make the score 3-2.
Must-win situation, game and series on the line in the 8th, and the Padres understandably turned to all world closer Mason Miller. Miller, who had a 1.67 ERA in the regular season, which arguably was a bit “unlucky” to begin with, got through the 8th on just 12 pitches.
San Diego Padres’ Mason Miller reacts during the ninth inning of Game 2 of a National League Division Series playoff game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Bottom of the 9th, 3-2 game, and Miller started to show some cracks in his seemingly invincible armor. After getting Garrett Mitchell to ground out, he walked Christian Yelich, then Sal Frelick. When he got Andrew Vaughn to fly out to center for the second out, the Brewers pinch hit Gary Sanchez, who worked the third walk of the inning to load the bases.
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And then, the decision that will be second guessed in San Diego for years to come, if the Padres don’t complete the big comeback. The lineup turned over after Sanchez, bringing up Chourio, Milwaukee’s best hitter. Miller, who rarely gets more than 3-4 outs or throws more than 20-25 pitches in an outing, had by that point reached 34 pitches. He’d gotten through five outs, but walked three hitters in the inning. Instead of going to another reliever to get the final out, manager Craig Stammen left him in to face Chourio.
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On a 2-2 pitch, Chourio crushed a liner 109.5mph to center, driving in Yelich and Frelick for a stunning 4-3 walk-off win and 2-0 series lead.
Miller blew just three saves in the regular season and allowed just 37 total hits. But he faced nine hitters on Sunday, far more than a typical outing. While his velocity never really dipped, three walks showed he was not as sharp as he typically is. It’s understandable Stammen wanted to live and die with the best relief pitcher in baseball instead of risking it with someone like Jason Adam or David Morgan. But at 34 pitches, facing the best hitter Milwaukee has, having already walked three hitters, it’s reasonable to wonder if the Padres would have been better served by making a pitching change.
Milwaukee Brewers’ Jackson Chourio celebrates after hitting a walkoff hit during the ninth inning of Game 2 of a National League Division Series playoff game against the San Diego Padres on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Regardless, it’s too late now. The Brewers have won back-to-back one-run games against a team that typically excels at winning them. They beat Mason Miller, which for most of the year seemed all but impossible. They’ve ensured that the worst case scenario to win the series is a return to Milwaukee for a game 5 started by Jacob Misiorowski.
The Padres, with their season on the line, will send Nick Pivetta to the mound in San Diego on Tuesday night to try and extend it to game four. The Brewers will counter with Dustin May, hoping to finish out the sweep and give themselves another break before the NLCS. Perhaps the only good news for the Padres? Petco Park has no roof to worry about.
