More than 41,000 Brewers fans at American Family Field had almost nothing to cheer for heading into the ninth inning of NLDS Game 2 on Sunday. For eight long innings, their team had looked absolutely unrecognizable. But then, in a wild 4-3 walkoff victory over the San Diego Padres, they gave a sellout crowd a game they’ll never forget, snatching it from the jaws of defeat.
Eight Innings of Pure Frustration
Before that unbelievable ninth, the Brewers were a mess. We’re talking sloppy baseball, plain and simple. They racked up three errors, gave up two unearned runs, and their offense was basically nonexistent, mustering just four hits total before the final frame. They were on the brink of losing their first postseason game, and staring down MLB’s best, most intimidating closer, Mason Miller. Things looked grim. Really grim. Brewers manager Pat Murphy called it “one of my favorite games I’ve been a part of,” adding, “what’s most gratifying to see is how many of our great fans came out to see that one. Just happy for the club, happy for the city that they got to witness something so special.” But man, for most of the game, that special moment felt light years away.
The Improbable 9th Inning Rally That Shocked Everyone
Down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, the Brewers faced Miller, a guy first baseman Jake Bauers called “the best in the game” before the series. The mentality? “Try to have a good at-bat.” And boy, did they ever. It started with newly minted captain Christian Yelich, who worked a clutch five-pitch walk against Miller with one out, putting the tying run on first. Yelich knew the drill: “Just grind, man. Just find a way to get on there. Doesn’t matter if it’s a walk or a hit. We just want some traffic in that inning there, and just see what happens.”
Then Sal Frelick stepped up. He fell behind 1-2, a horrible spot against a guy like Miller. But Frelick buckled down, taking three straight pitches for another walk. Talk about pressure! “Guys like that don’t give up multiple hits in innings very often,” Frelick said. “He was tasked with six outs today, so wanted to kind of get pressure on him, see if we could get some guys on.” After an Andrew Vaughn flyout for the second out, Gary Sánchez, pinch-hitting for David Hamilton, came to the plate. Sánchez is on the NLDS roster for exactly these moments, a big swing opportunity. But like his teammates, he wasn’t trying to blast a three-run shot. He simply worked the count full and drew the Brewers’ third walk of the inning. Now, the bases were loaded, two outs. Who else would step to the plate in the biggest moment? Jackson Chourio.
This walkoff victory means the Brewers avoid a brutal 0-2 hole in the NLDS. With the momentum from this unbelievable comeback, and Jackson Chourio standing at the plate with the bases loaded, you know this team is ready to keep fighting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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