The Brewers are walking into the NLDS with the best record in baseball, a 103-59 finish, and home-field advantage all the way through the postseason. But the matchup in front of them is no soft landing. San Diego arrives at American Family Field on Saturday after sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card round, and the Padres bring the kind of star power and bullpen depth that can make a short series feel even shorter.
If Milwaukee is going to get back to the NLCS for the second straight season, the path is pretty clear: make San Diego uncomfortable, score before the bullpen gets involved, and keep the pressure on an infield that has had problems.
The first job is keeping the Padres from settling in. Milwaukee’s pitching staff can still lean on elite velocity, and Jacob Misiorowski’s fastball, which can reach 105 mph, is the kind of weapon that can overwhelm hitters.
But San Diego has handled high velocity well this season, so the Brewers can’t just expect pure heat to do all the work. That makes the secondary pitches more important, both for Misiorowski and for the rest of the staff.
Fastballs can get the Brewers ahead, but sliders and other breaking balls may be what actually keep the Padres guessing when the count points toward velocity.
The next edge comes early in games. Milwaukee has been second in MLB in runs per game in the first four innings at 2.27, and that kind of start would matter a lot against this opponent.
The Brewers do not want every game turning into a bullpen fight, because San Diego’s relievers are one of the strongest parts of the roster, with Mason Miller leading the way. If Milwaukee can do damage against the starters before that late-inning group takes over, it can force more innings from the softer part of the staff and pile on the workload in a five-game series.
Then there’s the way the Brewers know how to play. They do not need to reinvent themselves to score.
Milwaukee led the major leagues in hits and batting average, and it has spent all year winning with contact, ground balls, and aggressive baserunning. The team also ranked fifth in MLB in stolen bases.
That style can be a real problem for a Padres infield that has struggled, finishing with a -7 DRS. If the Brewers keep the ball moving, force rushed throws, and make San Diego’s infield handle the pressure, they can create offense without waiting for the long ball.
Milwaukee’s formula does not have to change. It just has to travel.
Keep the Padres off balance, attack before the bullpen takes over, and make the infield work. If the Brewers do that, they’ll give themselves a strong chance to move on.
In Other News...
Brewers Hold On After Wild Ninth Inning Call Sparks Padres Fury
A bizarre ninth-inning moment at American Family Field became the defining flashpoint of Game 1 of the National League Division Series, when Ty France sent a fly ball high enough to strike a cable on the roof before Jackson Chourio made the catch for the Brewers. The umpires ruled it an out under the ballparks ground rules, deciding the ball had hit over fair territory, and the call immediately turned a tense postseason game into the kind of replay-worthy controversy that tends to linger long after the final pitch.
For Milwaukee, the ruling helped preserve a hard-fought win, but it also left the Padres simmering over how the final inning unfolded. Craig Stammen and Pat Murphy both addressed the play afterward, along with players involved, as the odd sequence became less about the mechanics of a ruling and more about the pressure-cooker reality of October baseball, where a single strange bounce can reshape a whole series opener. [Read more 🡒]
Jacob Misiorowski's Wild NLDS Start Left Brewers Fans With One Concern
Jacob Misiorowskis NLDS debut gave Brewers fans exactly the kind of electricity they have come to expect from the rookie right-hander, and then some. In Game 1 against the Padres, he reached a new velocity peak with a 104.8 mph pitch and kept the fastball coming, piling up 52 pitches at 100 mph or harder while working four innings and striking out six.
For Milwaukee, the appeal is obvious. Misiorowskis stuff can change a series in a hurry, and he left the opener having allowed two runs on four hits and a walk before the Brewers turned to the bullpen with the game still hanging in the balance. The only real question now is how that kind of effort shapes what comes next, because outings like that can be a weapon and a warning at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Willson Contreras Just Changed An Early Brewers Playoff Storyline
The Brewers opened their NL Division Series with a tight 3-2 win over the Padres, and the biggest swing came from a familiar face who had been at the center of a late-season flashpoint. Willson Contreras delivered the go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning after Jackson Chourio had already dragged Milwaukee back into the game with a tying two-run shot earlier, giving the Brewers the kind of timely power they have been chasing as October pressure ramps up.
Contreras performance carries extra weight because manager Pat Murphy benched him late in the regular season over a lack of hustle, a decision that had left his role under the microscope going into the postseason. Instead of letting that become the headline, Contreras answered in the first game that mattered most, giving Milwaukee an early playoff storyline built around response, not resentment, even if the full impact of that turnaround is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]