bleacherreport
William Contreras' late solo home run propelled the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday at American Family Field.
As the National League's top seed, the Brewers entered the NLDS as 1.5-point favorites over the Padres, per FanDuel Sportsbook, and held home-field advantage. Despite not leading until Contreras' 406-foot blast in the bottom of the seventh, Milwaukee combined timely home runs with a solid outing from ace Jacob Misiorowski to secure the win.
Game Summary
The Padres struck first in the top of the second when Luis Campusano singled to drive in Xander Bogaerts and move Ethan Salas to third. Jake Cronenworth then brought Salas home on a fielder's choice, giving San Diego a 2-0 lead.
Milwaukee answered in the bottom of the third as Jackson Chourio launched a two-run homer, scoring Garrett Mitchell to tie the game at 2-2.
In the top of the seventh, with the bases loaded, the Brewers called on DL Hall to face Merrill, who had homered in the third. Merrill flied out to left, ending the threat.
The Brewers then turned defense into offense: with a full count and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Contreras crushed a solo home run off Adrian Morejon's 100 mph pitch, giving Milwaukee its first lead at 3-2.
In the top of the ninth, Dustin Harris reached base to start the inning, but the Padres couldn't capitalize further, leaving them trailing 1-0 in the series.
Key Performers
Brewers: William Contreras went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Jackson Chourio went 1-for-3 with a home run, an RBI, and a walk. Garrett Mitchell scored a run. Jacob Misiorowski started and pitched 4.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Aaron Ashby tossed 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.
Padres: Xander Bogaerts went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Manny Machado went 2-for-4. Luis Campusano drove in a run. Robbie Ray started and lasted 2.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout. Bradgley Rodriguez pitched 1.1 scoreless innings.
Playoff Bracket Update
American League Wild Card:
No. 6 Chicago White Sox def. No. 3 Houston Astros, 2-0
No. 4 New York Yankees def. No. 5 Boston Red Sox, 2-0
National League Wild Card:
No. 3 Atlanta Braves def. No. 6 Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1
No. 4 San Diego Padres def. No. 5 Chicago Cubs, 2-0
American League Division Series:
No. 6 Chicago White Sox lead No. 2 Cleveland Guardians, 1-0
No. 1 Tampa Bay Rays lead No. 4 New York Yankees, 1-0
National League Division Series:
No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers lead No. 3 Atlanta Braves, 1-0
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers lead No. 4 San Diego Padres, 1-0
Up Next
The series remains in Milwaukee for Game 2 on Sunday, with Logan Henderson starting for the Brewers and Michael King for the Padres. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
Originally reported by bleacherreport.