William Contreras’s massive late go-ahead home run sealed the deal for the Milwaukee Brewers in a nail-biting 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series on Saturday. That 406-foot bomb in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Brewers their first lead of the entire game, and they never looked back.
How the No. 1 Seed Pulled It Off
The Brewers, entering this NLDS as the National League’s No. 1 seed and 1.5-point favorites with home-field advantage, definitely had to earn this one. The Padres jumped out early, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Luis Campusano singled to bring in Xander Bogaerts, and then Jake Cronenworth followed up with a fielder’s choice that brought Ethan Salas home. It looked like San Diego was gonna control the narrative.
But the Brewers had other plans. Jackson Chourio responded for Milwaukee in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer that brought Garrett Mitchell in, immediately tying things up at 2-2. Talk about a quick answer! The game stayed locked there until that pivotal seventh inning. The Padres loaded the bases, prompting a pitching change by the Brewers to DL Hall to face Merrill, who had already homered in the third. Hall delivered, getting Merrill to fly out to left field and escaping a huge jam for Milwaukee. That defensive stand immediately turned into offense when Contreras stepped up to the plate.
Big Swings and Clutch Pitching
Contreras’s heroics off Adrian Morejon’s 100 mph pitch were undeniably the highlight, but the Brewers’ ace, Jacob Misiorowski, put in a great start too. Misiorowski pitched 4.0 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 earned runs, but he struck out 6 Padres and kept his team in it. Robbie Ray for the Padres struggled a bit, going 2.2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 earned runs, and the Chourio homer.
Beyond the big blasts, some players had standout performances at the plate. For the Brewers, Chourio was 1 for 3 with that homer and an RBI, while Garrett Mitchell went 1 for 3 with a run scored. Jake Bauers was busy, going 2 for 3. For the Padres, Manny Machado was a force, collecting 2 hits in 4 at-bats, and Xander Bogaerts added a hit and a run. Fernando Tatis Jr. had a hit but struck out twice. The Padres had one more shot in the ninth after Dustin Harris reached first, but the rest of the lineup couldn’t build on it, leaving them trailing 1-0 in the series.
Game 2 is set for Sunday, October 4, back at American Family Field in Milwaukee at 4 p.m. ET. The Padres are staring down an 0-1 hole, and they absolutely need to win this one to even things up before the series shifts to San Diego. Can the Brewers keep that momentum rolling and take a commanding 2-0 lead, or will the Padres bounce back? You gotta tune in.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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