Brewers deliver stunning walk-off against Padres closer Miller

Clear Facts

• The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-3 in Game 2 of the National League Division Series with a walk-off hit by Jackson Chourio.
• Padres manager Craig Stammen left closer Mason Miller in the game after he had already thrown 34 pitches and walked three batters in the ninth inning.
• The Brewers now lead the best-of-five series 2-0 and need just one more win to advance.

The San Diego Padres entered October as one of baseball’s hottest teams after a dominant September run. They swept the Chicago Cubs in the wild card series and appeared poised for a deep playoff run.

That momentum has stalled against the Milwaukee Brewers. The division series has exposed how quickly postseason fortunes can shift.

Game 1 featured controversy when a fly ball struck the American Family Field roof and was ruled in play. Milwaukee won that contest 3-2.

“It wouldn’t be his last big moment of the weekend.”

In Game 2, Padres starter Michael King pitched effectively through five innings. San Diego built a 2-0 lead and appeared in control.

The Brewers chipped away with one run in the sixth. A defensive miscue by Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth allowed another Milwaukee run in the seventh.

Trailing 3-2 entering the eighth, San Diego turned to elite closer Mason Miller. He retired the side on just 12 pitches and appeared locked in.

The bottom of the ninth told a different story. Miller walked Christian Yelich, Sal Frelick, and Gary Sanchez to load the bases with two outs.

“Miller, who rarely gets more than 3-4 outs or throws more than 20-25 pitches in an outing, had by that point reached 34 pitches.”

Manager Craig Stammen elected to keep Miller on the mound to face Jackson Chourio rather than turn to a fresh reliever. Chourio lined a 109.5 mph pitch to center field for a two-run walk-off single.

“On a 2-2 pitch, Chourio crushed a liner 109.5mph to center, driving in Yelich and Frelick for a stunning 4-3 walk-off win and 2-0 series lead.”

The Brewers have now won consecutive one-run games against a team known for such victories. Milwaukee will look to complete the sweep in San Diego on Tuesday.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.