The Milwaukee Brewers are still one win from the National League Championship Series, but Tuesday night in San Diego gave them something far less comforting than a sweep: a glaring reminder that their road problems in October are real.
Milwaukee dropped Game 3 to the Padres, 4-3, in a tight, hard-fought matchup that had enough positive signs to keep the Brewers in the series conversation. William Contreras went deep, Cooper Pratt and Christian Yelich each had two hits, and the pitching kept Milwaukee hanging around. Even so, the Brewers couldn’t finish the job.
What made the loss sting more was the history attached to it. Milwaukee matched the Major League Baseball record for most consecutive postseason road losses, falling for the 12th straight time away from home in the playoffs. Per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, that ties the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins for the longest road skid in postseason history.
"The Brewers have lost 12 consecutive road games in the postseason, tying the Senators/Twins for the longest road losing streak in postseason history," McCalvy wrote.
That kind of number is hard to ignore once it’s in the spotlight. Entering the postseason, the Brewers’ lack of power was the flaw people kept circling.
So far, that hasn’t been the issue. The road record, though, is starting to look like the problem that could matter most if Milwaukee wants this run to last.
The last time the Brewers won a road playoff game was the 2018 National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies. Yelich and Brandon Woodruff were on that team, but otherwise the roster looks like a different era entirely. Ryan Braun, Lorenzo Cain, Curtis Granderson, Mike Moustakas, Jonathan Schoop, Travis Shaw, Corbin Burnes, Wade Miley and Josh Hader were all part of that group, among many others.
The comparison makes the streak even more striking. Milwaukee’s 12 straight road playoff losses now sit alongside the Senators/Twins, who built their own run of futility across 62 years, from 1925 to 1987.
It’s not the kind of company any team wants. And with another road game coming Wednesday night, the timing could hardly be worse. The Brewers still have home-field advantage in this series, but if they’re going to make a deep run, they’re going to have to show they can finally solve this one away from Milwaukee.
Tuesday wasn’t their night. Wednesday will tell the next part of the story.
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Padres Suddenly Have A Bullpen Concern In The Middle Of The NLDS
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Mason Millers absence only added to the strain, with the closer on the paternity list and unavailable for the game. For a San Diego staff that has leaned on late-inning depth all year, losing two key arms in the middle of a postseason series leaves the Padres with more lineup juggling than they likely wanted this late in October. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Sent A Worrying Bullpen Message Before Game 4
The Padres found a late October lifeline in Game 3 when Michael King gave them six outs to help keep the series moving, but the bigger picture around their pitching staff still feels unsettled. Milwaukees long road playoff skid has been part of the backdrop in this NLDS, yet San Diego knows those kinds of trends can disappear fast once a game turns into a bullpen test.
What matters now is how the Padres line up their relief work going into Game 4, because the margin for error is shrinking with every inning. The matchup has already shown how quickly one team can be forced into a different kind of night, and San Diegos next move will say a lot about how confident it feels in the arms behind its starters. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Just Got A Game 3 Opening Padres Fans Hate
Gavin Sheets is not in the Padres starting lineup for Game 3 of the NLDS against the Brewers because of a stiff neck, though he is still available off the bench. The change pushes Samad Taylor into the batting order as San Diego tries to keep its season alive in Milwaukee, with every lineup decision carrying extra weight in a must-win game.
Nick Pivetta is set to start for San Diego, giving the Padres a second postseason look at the right-hander after he returned from injury. With the season on the line, the Padres are leaning on a pitcher who has only just rejoined the mix while also navigating a lineup tweak that could matter more if the game turns into a tight, late-inning grind. [Read more 🡒]