The Milwaukee Brewers have done it again as they beat the Padres 4-3 with a walk-off win. 22-year-old Jackson Chourio lined a single in the 9th and brought home the win for the Brew Crew, and their captain couldn’t be any happier.
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In the post-game interview, Christian Yelich said, “He’s just one of those players, man… he can do whatever he wants on a baseball field.”
That is exactly what he did in this game.
Jackson Chourio gave the Brewers an unforgettable postseason moment, this time with one swing against Mason Miller.
With 2 outs in the ninth, Chourio lined Miller’s 101.3-mph fastball sharply into center field. Jake Cronenworth dove for it, but the ball slipped just past his outstretched glove.
Christian Yelich scored first, followed by Sal Frelick, completing Milwaukee’s dramatic 4-3 walk-off win. The win gave the Brewers a 2-0 NLDS lead, and the Padres are now hanging by a thread.
Throughout the night, the Brewers refused to let San Diego escape, setting up a dramatic ninth-inning finish.
San Diego scored first when Ty France drove home Manny Machado in the opening inning. The Padres added another run after Luis Campusano reached on the Brewers’ costly defensive error.
Milwaukee answered with Frelick’s RBI single, keeping the deficit within only one run. That kept the Brewers close enough for their ninth-inning opportunity to mean something.
Padres pitcher Michael King controlled the game early, retiring the first 14 Brewers in order.
Yelich finally doubled in the fifth, then Frelick brought him home with another hit.
San Diego restored its 2-run advantage in the seventh. France delivered again, but Machado was thrown out trying to run to third. The Brewers then answered with an unearned run, making the score 3-2 entering the eighth inning.
San Diego had chances to finish the game, but recorded only 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Milwaukee kept applying pressure, even when its offense struggled to find hits. Garrett Mitchell’s error-fueled run brought the Brewers within one before the final inning.
Then Miller returned for the final 3 outs, and everything suddenly changed for the Brewers.
Miller entered after dominating the eighth, looking ready to protect San Diego’s narrow lead. He had already struck out 2 hitters and needed only 14 pitches that inning.
Yelich walked with 1 out, and Frelick immediately followed him with another walk. Andrew Vaughn then flew out, and the Padres needed only one out.
Gary Sánchez walked on a full count, loading the bases and bringing Chourio up.
Chourio’s task was difficult because Miller had become one of baseball’s most trusted closers.
During 2026, Miller recorded 38 saves, 129 strikeouts, and a 1.67 ERA. He also posted a 0.90 WHIP while limiting opposing hitters to a .152 batting average.
His World Baseball Classic numbers were even cleaner, with a 0.00 ERA in 4 innings. He struck out 10 there and allowed no hits.
Still, Chourio’s own numbers offered an important clue before Miller’s final pitch.
Chourio hit .328 against four-seamers this season, a key advantage against Miller’s fastball. His +11 run value against four-seamers also showed how dangerous he is against that pitch. His numbers were lower against sliders, where he hit .248 with a 33.4% whiff rate.
We have already seen how good Chourio is in the postseason.
Before this game, the 22-year-old had a .333 average and 5 homers with 13 RBIs in all postseason games combined.
When Miller threw a 101.3 mph fastball, Chourio simply stayed with it.
He lined it 153 feet through the middle at 109.5 mph, sending both runners home and getting the win.
Chourio had his first postseason walk-off hit, while the Brewers celebrated their third postseason walk-off victory.
The crowd erupted as teammates rushed from the dugout and bullpen to celebrate Chourio. Chourio was even drenched with Gatorade after the win.
Now the series moves to San Diego, where the Padres have almost no room left.
Dustin May will start Game 3 for the Brewers, while Nick Pivetta starts for the Padres. The Padres must win Tuesday, then win on Wednesday again, to force a Game 5. A loss would end their season after the Brewers took both games on home soil.
For now, Chourio’s single has left the Brewers only one win away from reaching the NLCS for the 2nd straight season. The Los Angeles Dodgers, holding another top seed with the Brewers, may have to worry if Milwaukee advances because this season, MB holds a 4-3 record over the Boys in Blue. Against the Atlanta Braves, they hold a 3-3 record, but have batted .290 as a team.
But for the NLDS Game 3, the Padres are returning to Petco Park. Along with the home crowd support, they have managed high-leverage relief arms efficiently coming out of the Wild Card round, leaving the bullpen relatively fresh for the middle games of the series.
If the Padres can get to the back end of Milwaukee’s pitching staff or force early exits against their starters, they match up well against the depth of the Brewers’ pitching usage in a home environment.