The Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the NLCS for the second straight year after eliminating the San Diego Padres with a 3-1 victory in Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday night — setting up a rematch with the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chourio delivers the go-ahead blow
The score was tied 1-1 when Garrett Mitchell tripled just inside the first base line off Robbie Ray to open the fifth inning. One out later, Jackson Chourio lined a single over the head of reliever Bradgley Rodriguez into center field, driving in Mitchell for a 2-1 lead. The hit gave the 22-year-old Chourio 17 career postseason RBIs, breaking the franchise record previously held by Ryan Braun. Sal Frelick added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 3-1.
Mitchell's catch seals the night
San Diego's only real threat came in the eighth. With a runner on and one out, Manny Machado drove a deep ball to center field off Abner Uribe — but Mitchell leapt above the wall to make a spectacular catch, robbing Machado of a tying two-run homer. Trevor Megill then worked a perfect ninth for his second save of the series.
Fernando Tatis Jr. had given San Diego brief hope with a solo homer off starter Robert Gasser in the third — celebrated with a towering bat flip before 47,712 fans at Petco Park. It was one of only three Padres hits all night. Aaron Ashby was superb in relief for Milwaukee, tossing three scoreless, hitless innings to end the Brewers' major-league-record-tying 12-game postseason road losing streak dating back to 2018.
NLCS rematch with the Dodgers awaits
Milwaukee now faces the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS for the second consecutive season — a rematch of last year's series, which the Dodgers swept while the Brewers scored just four runs. The Dodgers are bidding to become the first National League franchise to win three consecutive World Series titles.
"I think it is different this year... We're going in to beat them," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after the game. Milwaukee, owner of baseball's best regular-season record at 103 wins, holds home-field advantage this time. Game 1 is Sunday, October 11 at American Family Field, with Game 2 on Monday before the series shifts to Dodger Stadium. Milwaukee won four of seven regular-season meetings with Los Angeles this year.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Ready Aim Fire (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Reuters, USA Today, New York Post