Brewers, Padres Set for NLDS Game 1 Matchup
The Milwaukee Brewers open the NLDS at home Saturday against the San Diego Padres, who swept the Cubs in the wild card round. Milwaukee earned a first-round bye after posting a 103-win regular season, the best record in MLB.
- Misiorowski led the majors in ERA (1.80), strikeouts (252), and WHIP (0.802) this season.
- His 4-seam fastball averaged 100.6 mph; he ranked in the 99th percentile in whiff rate.
- San Diego went 20-5 over their final 25 regular-season games, leading baseball in wOBA.
- The Padres beat Milwaukee 4-2 in the regular-season series between the clubs.
Why it matters: Both teams have never won a World Series, along with Colorado, Tampa Bay, and Seattle. San Diego last reached the Fall Classic in 1998; Milwaukee's only appearance was 1982.
- Misiorowski struck out 10 Padres batters in a May regular-season start.
- Padres manager Craig Stammen said both clubs would likely look for an early lead and rely heavily on their bullpens.
How 3 sources split on this story
Where they split: Coverage agrees on Milwaukee's pitching advantage but diverges on whether San Diego's recent offensive surge will neutralize it.
Center coverage, 2 sources: The center frames this as an even, competitive series between two well-built clubs, highlighting bullpen depth and close expected games.
Right coverage, 1 sources: The right focuses on Misiorowski's dominant stats as the decisive factor, favoring a Brewers win built around his strikeout upside.
What’s next: Three of four USA Today analysts predicted Milwaukee wins the series.
- Game 3 shifts to San Diego on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 9:30 p.m. ET.
- Can Misiorowski, who hasn't pitched more than five innings since Sept. 8, maintain his dominance into the later innings?
- Will San Diego's recent offensive surge carry over after leaving the favorable crowd atmosphere in their home wild card series?