The Brewers’ road woes in the postseason keep piling up, and now the number is 12 straight playoff losses away from American Family Field - a run that matches the longest streak in playoff history, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Milwaukee’s latest chance slipped away in Game 3, but San Diego found a way to survive thanks to an unusual save from Michael King. With Adrian Morejon ailing and Mason Miller on paternity leave, the Padres asked the Game 2 starter to finish the job. King handled the final six outs, and in doing so became the first pitcher to record a six-out save in the postseason just two days after making a start, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reported.
It wasn’t clean all the way through. King had some trouble in the ninth, issuing two walks and putting the tying run in scoring position.
Then Christian Yelich ripped a grounder straight to Xander Bogaerts, who turned it into the game-ending double play. Tonight, Walker Buehler is set to start for the Padres, while Milwaukee’s starter is still TBD.
On the other side of the bracket, the Dodgers finally got moving after Chris Sale and Yoshinobu Yamamoto breezed through the first three innings on Tuesday. The breakthrough came in the fourth, and it came from Kiké Hernandez, who has a habit of showing up when October lights are brightest.
Hernandez ambushed a Sale changeup and sent it into the left-field seats to put Los Angeles on the board. Freddie Freeman added a homer soon after, and that was enough cushion for Yamamoto and the rest of the Dodgers’ pitching staff.
Hernandez’s postseason resume keeps growing. He now has 17 home runs in 332 plate appearances in the playoffs. After the game, Dave Roberts put it plainly: “We needed a little bit of that Kiké dust,”
Atlanta also has a health issue to monitor. Ronald Acuna Jr. was limited to DH yesterday because of knee soreness, and Walt Weiss told reporters the injury could prevent him from playing right field in Game 4 tonight, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
Acuna had originally been in the lineup in right field for Game 3, but he was moved to DH before first pitch. Lane Thomas started in right, Mauricio Dubon handled left field, and Ha-Seong Kim was at shortstop.
In Other News...
Padres Suddenly Have A Bullpen Concern In The Middle Of The NLDS
The Padres headed into Game 3 of the National League Division Series already trying to manage the margins, and their bullpen picture got thinner when Adrian Morejon was ruled out because of a shoulder issue. Manager Craig Stammen said Morejon had not pitched since Game 1, though he did throw off the mound Tuesday before still not being cleared to play.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]
Padres Kept Their Season Alive But Wednesday Just Got Bigger
The Padres kept their season alive with a 4-3 win over the Brewers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Petco Park, a game that had the usual October mix of nerve and relief. Jackson Merrill helped steady the defense, Jake Cronenworth and William Contreras provided the power swings, and Michael King handled the final outs as San Diego found just enough to survive and extend the series.
Now the focus shifts immediately to Wednesday at Petco Park, where the Padres have no margin left if they want to keep playing. One win bought them another night in front of their home crowd, but the pressure only sharpens from here, with Game 4 carrying the weight of everything San Diego has managed to claw back so far. [Read more 🡒]