MILWAUKEE – The Padres certainly didn’t see the best of MLB’s top regular-season team in 2026. When the Brewers visited San Diego in August, they squandered a seventh-inning lead in the opener, got blown out in Game 2 and then lost leads in the eighth inning and again in the 11th in the finale to complete a Padres sweep of the Brewers.
Along the way, San Diego’s pitchers held Milwaukee’s hitters to 3-for-28 with 12 strikeouts with runners in scoring position. Jake Bauers, in the midst of a breakthrough season for the Brewers at age 30, provided the prescription.
“I just think we need to chill the [heck] out a little bit,” Bauers said.
So, they did. The Brewers went north to Dodger Stadium, won three of four to claim the best record in baseball and never looked back on the way to a franchise record 103 wins. They became the first team to win the NL Central four years in a row, clinched a first-round bye and then the No. 1 overall seed in MLB’s postseason field, but never took the foot off the gas, going 18-6 in September.
If that sounds familiar to Padres fans, it’s because San Diego also went 18-6 in September, and they needed all of those wins to claim the NL’s top Wild Card berth and home-field advantage for what became an NL Wild Card Series win over the Cubs.
When the teams meet again, the rested Brewers will try to follow Bauers’ advice.
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 1 of the Padres-Brewers NLDS airs nationally at 7:30 p.m. CT/5:30 p.m. PT 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: LHP Robbie Ray
Key Stats: 2.82 career ERA vs. Milwaukee with a .193 batting average against
Ray (13-8, 3.59) got the nod over Walker Buehler (or even a potential bullpen game in Game 1), possibly because of the Brewers' lineup's relative struggles against left-handed pitching. Milwaukee ranked first in the Majors in wRC+ against right-handers this season and 13th against lefties. Ray arrived at the Trade Deadline and his Padres tenure has been mostly up and down. But the Padres have won each of his last three starts, and he's been mostly sharp over the past couple weeks.
Brewers: RHP Jacob Misiorowski
Key Stats: MLB leader in ERA (1.80), strikeouts (252), WHIP (0.80), opponents' average (.157)
A year ago at this time, Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA) was a great unknown. He had lost his grip on his spot in the Brewers’ starting rotation when his rookie season went south following the All-Star break, and he narrowly won a spot in the Brewers' bullpen. But he rose to the occasion in a trio of electric October relief appearances against the Cubs and Dodgers, then used those outings as a slingshot into one of the most dominant pitching seasons ever. His .157 opponents’ average not only led the Majors, but it was also the lowest on record for a starter, besting Pedro Martinez’s incredible .167 in 2000. Misiorowski’s 0.80 WHIP was third-best behind Martinez and Walter Johnson. He set velocity records all season and finished strong with 5 1/3 innings against the Cardinals in the regular-season finale, lining him up just right for this outing on five days’ rest.
What might the starting lineups look like?
Padres: The Padres started Austin Hays at DH in Game 2 against the Cubs because of Kevin Gausman’s reverse splits. Would they do the same against Misiorowski, who has stifled lefties all season? If so, that would keep Gavin Sheets’ lefty bat available off the bench. But already this postseason, Sheets has proven quite capable of handling velocity. Perhaps the most interesting call will be at catcher, where Luis Campusano, Ethan Salas and Freddy Fermin are all in play for a start.
1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Dustin Harris, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Gavin Sheets, DH
8. Luis Campusano, C
9. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Brewers: Starting a lefty probably changes the batting order for the Brewers, who could opt to leave Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick on the bench to begin the game and then make quick changes once San Diego flips to a righty. Only the Blue Jays hit fewer regular-season home runs than the Brewers, who nevertheless ranked second in the Majors in runs scored by hitting for average (.258, first in MLB), getting on base (.341, first in MLB), stealing bases (152, fifth in MLB), bunting (32 bunt hits, second in MLB), and generally refusing to swing the bat until they wanted to (lowest swing percentage in MLB and lowest chase percentage). Now, can that regular-season mettle translate to the postseason?
1. Jackson Chourio, LF
2. Brice Turang, 2B
3. William Contreras, C
4. Andrew Vaughn, DH
5. Jake Bauers, 1B
6. Joey Ortiz, 3B
7. Garrett Mitchell, CF
8. Luis Lara, RF
9. Cooper Pratt, SS
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. Call it a six-inning game, then. Righties Bradgley Rodriguez and Jason Adam and lefty Yuki Matsui are available for big spots early. If the Padres need a long reliever, they’ll have options. With Michael King lined up to start Game 2 on normal rest, they can theoretically deploy Buehler in relief, even if they still plan on starting him in a potential Game 4.
Brewers: The Brewers are one of the few teams that can go toe-to-toe with the Padres in a battle of bullpens. Closer Trevor Megill doesn’t get big swing-and-miss, but his results speak for themselves: 30 saves for the second straight season and a career-best 0.89 WHIP. Right-handed set-up man Abner Uribe would be a closer for most teams, and left-hander Aaron Ashby is the team’s most durable arm. Lefty DL Hall ascended to high-leverage work in the second half of the season, and the Brewers acquired left-hander JoJo Romero and right-hander Antonio Senzatela to fortify the group. Then comes a cadre of starters who could see action as multi-inning relievers or openers: Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan, Kyle Harrison. It’s a very lefty-heavy group.
Any injuries of note?
Padres: Somewhat stunningly, Joe Musgrove was added to the Padres Wild Card Series roster after missing nearly two years following Tommy John surgery. It’s unclear if he’ll be part of the bullpen for the NLDS. Jeremiah Estrada’s absence with a shoulder impingement still looms large. 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: Third baseman Joey Ortiz was one of Milwaukee’s hottest hitters in the second half and a real success story after being bumped off shortstop earlier in the season by rookie Cooper Pratt. But Ortiz was hobbled by abdominal and right knee injuries in the final week of the season, and the Brewers had some concern during the bye week. The latest update Friday was that Ortiz was “progressing in the right direction,” manager Pat Murphy said.
Who is hot and who is not?
Padres: This offense -- the best in baseball during September -- is on fire right now. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado homered and electrified Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. Xander Bogaerts delivered key hits in both games. Jackson Merrill and Ty France continued to mash. Meanwhile, Jake Cronenworth has started the series 1-for-6 and Austin Hays 0-for-5.
Brewers: Ortiz hit .331 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. … Brice Turang’s .361 average and .475 on-base percentage led the Majors in September and his 1.077 OPS was in the top 10. … William Contreras led the Majors with 24 RBIs in September and he had a .933 OPS from Sept. 9 on. … Logan Henderson, Milwaukee’s probable starter for Game 2, has made 23 career regular-season starts and has never allowed more than three runs.
Anything else fans might want to know?
• It’s the first postseason meeting between the Padres and the Brewers -- who could’ve met last year in the NLDS, had the Padres beaten the Cubs in the Wild Card Series.
• Brewers manager Pat Murphy got his managerial start with the Padres as the interim manager during the 2015 season after the Padres parted ways with Bud Black. He and Padres manager Craig Stammen are among the favorites for NL Manager of the Year.