Brewers Beat Padres 3-1, Advance to NLCS Rematch vs Dodgers

Quick Answer: The Milwaukee Brewers beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 in NLDS Game 4 on Wednesday night at Petco Park, winning the best-of-five series 3-1 and advancing to the NL Championship Series. Milwaukee faces the Los Angeles Dodgers in a rematch of last year's NLCS, with Game 1 set for Sunday, October 11 in Milwaukee. Jackson Chourio's fifth-inning RBI single and Garrett Mitchell's leaping eighth-inning catch were the difference.

The Milwaukee Brewers are heading back to the National League Championship Series. They beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the NL Division Series at Petco Park, closing out the best-of-five set 3-1 and setting up a rematch with the Los Angeles Dodgers — the same team that swept them out of last year's NLCS.

It wasn't comfortable. San Diego loaded the bases in the first inning, tied the game with a 429-foot Fernando Tatis Jr. blast in the third, and nearly erased Milwaukee's lead in the eighth when Manny Machado sent a two-run drive to the center-field wall. But the Brewers — owners of baseball's best regular-season record — kept answering, and closer Trevor Megill finished a perfect ninth to send Milwaukee on.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio, who drove in the go-ahead run in NLDS Game 4

Jackson Chourio's tiebreaking single in the fifth inning gave Milwaukee a lead it never gave back — and his 17th career postseason RBI set a Brewers franchise record. (Photo: IanStone20165, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

How the Brewers Beat the Padres 3-1 in NLDS Game 4

The Padres had their chance early and let it slip. In the bottom of the first, Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado singled off Brewers starter Robert Gasser, Austin Hays was hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded with one out. Xander Bogaerts popped out to first, and the inning ended with zero runs. That miss would hang over San Diego all night.

Milwaukee struck first in the third. Sal Frelick beat out an infield single, stole second, and scored when Garrett Mitchell lined a single to center off Padres starter Walker Buehler — 1-0 Brewers. The lead lasted half an inning. Tatis crushed a Gasser pitch 429 feet into the center-field seats to tie it, his eighth career postseason home run.

The go-ahead came in the fifth. Mitchell tripled just inside the first-base line off reliever Robbie Ray, and one out later Jackson Chourio ripped a liner over reliever Bradgley Rodriguez's head into center field. Brewers 2, Padres 1. The RBI was Chourio's 17th in postseason play, breaking the franchise record held by Ryan Braun.

Milwaukee added insurance in the sixth when Jake Bauers singled off Jason Adam, Cooper Pratt followed with a ground-rule double, and Frelick lifted a sacrifice fly to score Bauers. From there the game belonged to the defenses — and to one catch.

In the eighth, with Tatis on first and one out, Machado launched a deep drive to center off Abner Uribe. Mitchell jumped at the wall and hauled it in, stealing a tying two-run homer. "I couldn't have hit it harder," Machado said. Megill then retired all three batters in the ninth for his second save of the series.

Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres, whose potential tying home run was caught in Game 4

Manny Machado watched his eighth-inning drive die in Garrett Mitchell's glove at the center-field wall, ending San Diego's last real threat. (Photo: False casey, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Pitching Carried Milwaukee When It Mattered

Gasser gave the Brewers four innings of one-run ball against his former organization — the Padres drafted him and traded him to Milwaukee in 2022 in the Josh Hader deal. He allowed just three hits and struck out three. Aaron Ashby then took the game over, throwing three scoreless, hitless innings with three strikeouts on 38 pitches for the win. Uribe and Megill handled the final two frames.

San Diego's staff had its own storylines. Buehler, making his first playoff appearance of the season, lasted three-plus innings after returning from the paternity list. And Mason Miller — who missed Game 3 entirely when his wife gave birth to a baby boy on Tuesday night — returned in the seventh and escaped a bases-loaded jam when Pratt lined out to center.

Milwaukee's win also ended a 12-game postseason road losing streak dating back to 2018, tied for the longest in MLB history, per Reuters. It was only the second time the Brewers have ever won a clinching game on the road.

Why It Matters

The stakes were bigger than one series. Last October, the Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NLCS without Milwaukee ever leading a single inning, scoring just four runs in the four games. This time the Brewers own home-field advantage through the World Series, and they'll line up Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski for Game 1 on Sunday after four days of rest — he can also return for a potential Game 5 or 6, per USA Today.

Manager Pat Murphy sounded like a man who'd learned the lesson: "We're going in to beat them," he told Fox Sports after the game. "We earned it in the regular season to get home-field advantage. We're going in to beat them, we don't care who they have."

The regular season says this isn't hopeless. Milwaukee took four of seven from the Dodgers this year. And the Brewers are chasing something bigger than revenge — they haven't reached the World Series since 1982, and they've never won one.

For San Diego, it's another October obituary. Machado put it simply: "We had opportunities there and we didn't come up with the clutch hit and they did." The Padres' 2026 season ended with a whimper — one run on three hits, their only threat of the night pulled back by a 23-year-old center fielder.

Petco Park in San Diego, where the Brewers won NLDS Game 4

Petco Park hosted a tense clincher: the Brewers beat the Padres 3-1 to take the NLDS 3-1 and move on to the NL Championship Series. (Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

What Happens Next: Brewers vs Dodgers NLCS Schedule

The NLCS is a best-of-seven series. Here's the full schedule, per USA Today:

Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 11 — Dodgers at Brewers (American Family Field)
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 12 — Dodgers at Brewers
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 14 — Brewers at Dodgers (Dodger Stadium)
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 15 — Brewers at Dodgers
Game 5*: Friday, Oct. 16 — Brewers at Dodgers
Game 6*: Sunday, Oct. 18 — Dodgers at Brewers
Game 7*: Monday, Oct. 19 — Dodgers at Brewers

*if necessary

The Dodgers — two-time defending World Series champions — have had the Brewers' number in October. But this year's Milwaukee club has the best record in baseball, a rested rotation, and the momentum of a road clincher. For more postseason drama, see our coverage of the Rams' comeback win over the Eagles and the Chiefs' thriller against the Raiders. Or browse the latest headlines on the GlobalDeskNews homepage.

Key Takeaways

The Brewers beat the Padres 3-1 in NLDS Game 4 at Petco Park, winning the series 3-1 and advancing to the NLCS.
Jackson Chourio's fifth-inning RBI single was the game-winner — his 17th career postseason RBI, a Brewers franchise record.
Garrett Mitchell's leaping eighth-inning catch robbed Manny Machado of a tying two-run homer.
Milwaukee snapped a 12-game postseason road losing streak (2018), tied for the longest in MLB history.
NLCS rematch vs. the Dodgers starts Sunday, Oct. 11 in Milwaukee; the Brewers hold home-field advantage through the World Series.
Milwaukee won four of seven regular-season games against Los Angeles but was swept in last year's NLCS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Brewers vs Padres NLDS in 2026?

The Milwaukee Brewers won the series 3 games to 1. After taking the first two games in Milwaukee (3-2 and 4-3), they dropped Game 3 in San Diego 4-3 before closing it out with a 3-1 win in Game 4 on Wednesday, October 7.

What was the final score of Brewers Padres NLDS Game 4?

Brewers 3, Padres 1. San Diego managed just three hits — Merrill and Machado singles in the first and Tatis's solo homer in the third. Milwaukee scored in the third, fifth, and sixth innings and held on behind Ashby's three scoreless relief innings.

When is the Brewers Dodgers NLCS in 2026?

Game 1 is Sunday, October 11 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, with Game 2 the next night. The series shifts to Dodger Stadium for Games 3-5 (Oct. 14-16), then returns to Milwaukee for Games 6-7 (Oct. 18-19) if needed. It's a best-of-seven rematch of last year's NLCS.

Did Jackson Chourio set a Brewers record in Game 4?

Yes. His fifth-inning RBI single was his 17th career postseason RBI, breaking the Milwaukee franchise record of 16 previously held by Ryan Braun. The 22-year-old Chourio finished Game 4 with the go-ahead hit and a walk.

Why did Mason Miller miss NLDS Game 3?

Padres closer Mason Miller was placed on the postseason paternity list Tuesday night when his wife went into labor with their first child. He returned for Game 4 and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning.

When did the Brewers last reach the World Series?

1982. Milwaukee has never won a World Series title. Last year the Brewers reached the NLCS for the first time in this core's window but were swept in four games by the Dodgers, who went on to win their second straight championship.

Byline: GlobalDeskNews Staff