More Tony Plush.
That felt like the right way to describe Sunday at American Family Field, where Jackson Chourio delivered the latest Brewers postseason walk-off and, somehow, Nyjer Morgan was once again standing near the center of it all.
Morgan - better known to Milwaukee fans as Tony Plush, Tony Clutch, or whichever version of himself he was channeling at the time - was in the ballpark for Chourio’s Game 2 win over the Padres in the 2026 NLDS. He also happened to be there for the other two walk-off playoff wins in Brewers history: Mike Moustakas’ winner in Game 1 of the 2018 NLDS against the Rockies, and Morgan’s own first postseason walk-off for the franchise in Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS against the D-backs.
In each of those games, Morgan handled ceremonial first-pitch duties before the action started. On Sunday, he did it again, this time with his two kids with him.
“I’m magical, baby!” Morgan said.
He may have earned the right to say it. Before the game, Morgan posted a video of himself hyping Brewers players during pregame warmups, and he shared that he fist-bumped Chourio as the outfielder headed out to the field.
“My magic, it sprinkled off on him,” Morgan said. “People don’t know that I shook his hand right before he hit the field.
That Plush energy was definitely popping last night. I appreciate everything.”
There was at least one reminder that the Morgan touch is not a perfect science. He also threw out the first pitch before Game 2 of the 2023 NL Wild Card Series against the D-backs, when the Brewers needed a win to keep their season alive. Milwaukee nearly pushed it all the way back, cutting a three-run ninth-inning deficit and bringing the tying run to the plate, but William Contreras struck out.
This time, Contreras had a very different ending. After Sal Frelick slid home with the winning run, Contreras was sprawled on the grass behind home plate, pounding the ground in celebration.
In Other News...
Brewers Padres Series Just Got A Petty New Edge
The Brewers have found a little October edge of their own at home, turning to elevator music during opponents batting practice as part of the postseason chess match that tends to show up once the calendar flips. It is the kind of harmless but pointed gamesmanship that feels right for this time of year, when every club is looking for some small way to unsettle the other side before the games start counting in earnest.
San Diego answered in kind at Petco Park, piping elevator music over the speakers while Milwaukee was on the field for an off-day workout. It was a playful jab rather than anything heavy-handed, but it adds a petty little wrinkle to the series and underscores how thin the margins can get when two teams are looking for any edge, even one that sounds more like a department store than a ballpark. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Just Got A Game 3 Opening Padres Fans Hate
The Padres will have to reshuffle their lineup for Game 3 of the NLDS against Milwaukee after Gavin Sheets was scratched from the starting nine with a stiff neck. He is still available off the bench, but Samad Taylor will take his place in the batting order as San Diego tries to stay alive in a must-win matchup on the road.
Nick Pivetta is set to start on the mound for the Padres, giving San Diego a familiar arm as it tries to extend its season. It will be his second postseason start since returning from injury, and the Padres are banking on him to help steady a lineup that has already lost one key bat before the first pitch. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Had A Strange Game 1 Warning That Suddenly Looks Huge
Rainy conditions forced the Brewers to close the roof at American Family Field for Game 1 against the Padres, and what looked like a routine weather decision turned into one of the defining moments of the night. A ball hit the roof and stayed in play long enough for Jackson Chourio to make the catch, turning the strange carom into an out that helped Milwaukee hang on for a 3-2 win.
Chourio then showed up again in Game 2, this time delivering the walk-off single that sent the Brewers home with another victory and a 2-0 lead in the NLDS. In a series where the smallest details have already mattered, the roof call from the opener suddenly looks like more than a footnote for Milwaukee. [Read more 🡒]