The San Diego Padres refused to let their season end at home, holding on for a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on Tuesday, October 6. The victory cut Milwaukee's lead in the best-of-five series to 2-1 and forced a Game 4 back in San Diego.
Cronenworth's tie-breaker turns the night
San Diego built an early 2-0 lead in the third inning, but Brewers catcher William Contreras answered with a solo home run in the fourth, and Jackson Chourio's sacrifice fly tied the game 2-2 in the fifth. Immediately after losing the lead, Jake Cronenworth led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run off reliever JoJo Romero that traveled 368 feet to right field, restoring San Diego's advantage at 3-2. Cronenworth finished 2-for-2 on the night.
Xander Bogaerts scored on an error by Milwaukee shortstop Cooper Pratt in the sixth to make it 4-2, and that insurance run proved decisive after Christian Yelich's RBI single pulled the Brewers back within one in the seventh.
King's gutsy six-out save closes it
With closer Mason Miller placed on the postseason paternity list before the game, Michael King was asked to protect the lead just two days after pitching five innings as the Game 2 starter. King entered in the eighth and recorded a six-out save, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the ninth by inducing a game-ending double play from Yelich, with Bogaerts turning it at shortstop.
The loss was Milwaukee's 12th consecutive postseason road defeat, a streak dating back to the 2018 NL Championship Series. It was also the third straight one-run game in the series.
Before the game, Fernando Tatis Jr. had acknowledged the urgency of the moment, saying the Padres knew they had to perform like a team that wanted it. They did — and now the series continues with Game 4 on Wednesday, October 7 at 10 p.m. ET at Petco Park, televised on FS1.
Sources: USA Today: Padres force Game 4 vs Brewers
Cronenworth's tie-breaker turns the night
San Diego built an early 2-0 lead in the third inning, but Brewers catcher William Contreras answered with a solo home run in the fourth, and Jackson Chourio's sacrifice fly tied the game 2-2 in the fifth. Immediately after losing the lead, Jake Cronenworth led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run off reliever JoJo Romero that traveled 368 feet to right field, restoring San Diego's advantage at 3-2. Cronenworth finished 2-for-2 on the night.
Xander Bogaerts scored on an error by Milwaukee shortstop Cooper Pratt in the sixth to make it 4-2, and that insurance run proved decisive after Christian Yelich's RBI single pulled the Brewers back within one in the seventh.
King's gutsy six-out save closes it
With closer Mason Miller placed on the postseason paternity list before the game, Michael King was asked to protect the lead just two days after pitching five innings as the Game 2 starter. King entered in the eighth and recorded a six-out save, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the ninth by inducing a game-ending double play from Yelich, with Bogaerts turning it at shortstop.
The loss was Milwaukee's 12th consecutive postseason road defeat, a streak dating back to the 2018 NL Championship Series. It was also the third straight one-run game in the series.
Before the game, Fernando Tatis Jr. had acknowledged the urgency of the moment, saying the Padres knew they had to perform like a team that wanted it. They did — and now the series continues with Game 4 on Wednesday, October 7 at 10 p.m. ET at Petco Park, televised on FS1.
Sources: USA Today: Padres force Game 4 vs Brewers
