MILWAUKEE – For Game 2 of the National League Division Series, it's about as close to must-win as it gets for the Padres. But couldn't the same thing be said for the Brewers, even after they came away with a 3-2 win in a thrilling Game 1?
San Diego has its ace starting in Michael King. Not taking advantage of that could put the Padres on the verge of postseason elimination. But if the Brewers can’t follow up with another win, they'll face the prospects of not being in full command of the series before heading into the hostile environment of a lively Petco Park for Games 3 and 4.
"To be able to pitch for the best team in baseball and get an opportunity to help the team win, and for the city, it's incredible. It's hard to put into words," said Brewers starting pitcher Logan Henderson, who will oppose King. "Not trying to make it too much bigger than it is, and preparing for it like another start. And I think we understand the stakes, but you've got to treat it the same. So, yeah, I feel prepared."
The teams that are able to take a 2-0 lead in any best-of-five series have gone on to win that series 89% of the time (83 of 93). Under the current Division Series format, teams that lose Games 1 and 2 on the road have recovered to win the series just three times in 36 chances.
Padres manager Craig Stammen still had more than enough reasons to be optimistic.
"It always feels good when Michael's on the mound," Stammen said.
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 2 is underway on FS1, FOX Deportes and FOX ONE.
All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB's exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Padres: RHP Michael King
Key stats: 2.05 career postseason ERA; 6-3, 2.93 ERA in second half
If he can turn in another strong playoff outing, King (12-10, 3.21 ERA) is going to start developing a reputation as a postseason killer. Facing the best offense in baseball in the Wild Card Series, King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. He’s now turned in multiple playoff starts with seven scoreless innings. After a 2025 season that was largely lost to injury, King has re-established himself as a front-of-the-rotation starter -- and clearly, the type of pitcher you want on the mound in the playoffs.
Brewers: RHP Logan Henderson
Key stats: Has never allowed more than three runs in 23 career starts
Henderson, 24, has about 10 mph less on his four-seam fastball than Game 1 starter Jacob Misiorowski. But he still finds great success with the heater because of its unique characteristics, and he has been extremely consistent so far in his career. What Henderson doesn’t have is experience in October. Last year, he missed time with a forearm injury and was just getting healthy when it came time to set the rosters for the NLDS and NLCS.
What are the starting lineups?
Padres: Luis Campusano, who has essentially become King’s personal catcher, got the start behind the plate on Sunday. Rookie catcher Ethan Salas was scheduled to start at DH, but San Diego made a late change and put Gavin Sheets in at DH instead.
1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Dustin Harris, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Gavin Sheets, DH
7. Xander Bogaerts, SS
8. Luis Campusano, C
9. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Brewers: They can hit home runs, after all. The Brewers hit the fewest homers in the NL during the regular season, but won Game 1 with a pair of them: a two-run shot from Jackson Chourio and William Contreras’ go-ahead, solo homer in the seventh.
1. Jackson Chourio, LF
2. Brice Turang, 2B
3. Jake Bauers, 1B
4. William Contreras, C
5. Garrett Mitchell, CF
6. Christian Yelich, DH
7. Sal Frelick, RF
8. Cooper Pratt, SS
9. David Hamilton, 3B
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Padres: Mason Miller has the back end, with Adrian Morejon serving as his primary setup man, and it stands to reason they would cover the final three frames (at least) if the Padres have a lead, though Morejon worked two innings on Saturday night. Bradgley Rodriguez, Jason Adam and Yuki Matsui are available for big spots early -- but likely no more than an inning apiece after all three pitched on Saturday. With King on the mound, the Padres are hopeful they won’t need any long relief. But Randy Vásquez is available for it -- and likely with no limitations, as he presumably will be taken off the roster before Game 3 when Walker Buehler is activated from the paternity list.
Brewers: The Brewers are one of the few teams that can go toe-to-toe with the Padres in a battle of bullpens, and that’s what they did in Game 1. Closer Trevor Megill, coming off 30 saves for the second straight season and a career-best 0.89 WHIP, recorded his first multi-inning save of the season -- with an assist from a roof truss high above left field. Right-handed set-up man Abner Uribe and left-handers Aaron Ashby and DL Hall all got work in Game 1 -- Ashby and Hall spanning multiple innings. That means left-hander JoJo Romero could be vital in Game 1. The Brewers also have a cadre of starters who could see action as multi-inning relievers or openers, and they are all fresh: Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan, Kyle Harrison. It’s a very lefty-heavy group.
Any injuries of note?
Padres: Jeremiah Estrada’s absence with a right shoulder impingement still looms large in the Padres’ bullpen, but the surprise return of Joe Musgrove (after missing nearly two years due to Tommy John surgery) could help mitigate that. Offensively, the Padres are in relatively decent shape, with Sheets and Miguel Andujar having recently returned from injuries of their own -- though Sheets, who has battled a foot issue for most of the second half, is limited to DH and pinch-hitting duties.
Brewers: The Brewers were worried about third baseman Ortiz’s abdominal, groin and right knee injuries coming into the series, but he ran just fine in Game 1.
Who is hot and who is not?
Padres: Machado and Bogaerts have both been scorching to start the postseason, and each have started 5-for-11. Ty France, meanwhile, is 5-for-12. (But, uh, one of those outs probably shouldn’t have been.) Meanwhile, Merrill went 0-for-5 in Game 1, and Austin Hays has started the postseason by going 0-for-6.
Brewers: Chourio has homered in all four of postseason series in which he’s played so far in his career, and he became the Brewers’ all-time leader in postseason homers when he went deep in Game 1. All three of Contreras’ home runs in the postseason have been go-ahead homers with two outs. Ortiz hit .341 with an .884 OPS from Aug. 2 through the end of the season and solidified third base for the Brewers, though they still use left-handed hitting speedster David Hamilton at that position against certain pitchers. Turang’s .361 average and .475 on-base percentage in September led the Majors, and his 1.077 OPS was in the top 10.