Padres Avoid Elimination, Force Game 4 Against Brewers
San Diego defeats Milwaukee 4-3 in a crucial Game 3 to extend their National League Division Series.
The San Diego Padres staved off elimination in their National League Division Series matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers, securing a 4-3 victory in Game 3 to force a Game 4. The win came after a back-and-forth contest that saw both teams exchange leads before the Padres ultimately held on.
Milwaukee had taken a commanding 2-0 series lead in the first two games, which featured significant drama. Game 1 saw the Brewers win 3-2, while Game 2 concluded with a walk-off hit from Jackson Chourio after Padres closer Mason Miller struggled in the ninth inning. Miller was unavailable for Game 3 after being placed on the paternity list.
In Game 3, the Padres opened the scoring in the third inning. After Samad Taylor singled and advanced to second, Jake Cronenworth moved him to third with a bunt. Fernando Tatis Jr. then drove in the first run with a grounder, followed by a single from Jackson Merrill. Manny Machado, who had struggled in earlier games, delivered a run-scoring hit to extend San Diego's lead to 2-0.
The Brewers responded in the fourth inning when William Contreras hit a solo home run off Padres starter Nick Pivetta, cutting the deficit to 2-1. However, Jake Cronenworth regained the lead for San Diego in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run.
San Diego added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Xander Bogaerts scored on a throwing error by Brewers outfielder Cooper Frelick, making it 4-2. Milwaukee managed to scratch across another run in the eighth inning, closing the gap to 4-3.
In the ninth inning, Padres manager Craig Stammen called on starter-turned-reliever Michael King to close out the game. King successfully stranded the tying run on base to secure the victory and extend the series.
The series now shifts back to Petco Park for Game 4, with the Padres needing another win to force a deciding Game 5.