Friday, October 9, 2026 — a year after being swept, the Brewers get the series they wanted.
The Brewers beat the Padres 3-1 in San Diego on Wednesday to win their Division Series in four games. Their reward is a National League Championship Series rematch with the Dodgers, who swept Milwaukee in last year’s NLCS. Game 1 is Sunday at American Family Field, with Jacob Misiorowski expected to start.
A Curse Ends in San Diego
The win carried extra weight. Milwaukee had lost 12 straight postseason road games dating to the 2018 NLCS. Wednesday’s victory snapped that streak — and that matters for a series in which the Brewers will have to win at Dodger Stadium.
Four Brewers pitchers combined on a three-hitter. Robert Gasser started and threw four innings of three-hit ball, and the bullpen shut San Diego down from there. Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 429-foot homer was the Padres’ only real offense.
Chourio Makes History
The go-ahead run came in the fifth. Garrett Mitchell tripled, and Jackson Chourio drove him in with a single. That RBI made Chourio the franchise’s all-time postseason RBI leader, passing Ryan Braun.
Mitchell also saved a run in the eighth, tracking down a Manny Machado drive at the short wall in right-center. Brice Turang added an acrobatic catch on a foul popup by Ty France in the same inning.
Why This Rematch Is Different
Last year’s sweep stung, but this Brewers team is better positioned. It finished with the best record in baseball, giving it home-field advantage. It has Misiorowski, who led the majors in ERA and strikeouts for much of the season. And it has proven it can win close games: all three of its wins over San Diego were decided by two runs or fewer.
The Dodgers are hardly invincible this October, either. They have leaned on timely hits rather than sustained offense, and their rotation has been uneven.
The Stakes
Milwaukee is four wins away from only the second World Series appearance in franchise history and its first since 1982. For a small-market club that has built a perennial contender, this is the chance to finally break through — against the team that has stood in its way.
The Read
The Brewers got exactly what they wanted: another shot at the Dodgers, this time with home field and a road win already under their belt. If they are ever going to beat Los Angeles in October, this is the setup.
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