Jackson Chourio hit a two-out, two-run single off Padres closer Mason Miller in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3 walk-off win and a 2-0 lead in the National League Division Series on Sunday at American Family Field.
The script for Game 2 of the National League Division Series was supposed to belong to the San Diego relief machine. San Diego manager Craig Stammen turned to Mason Miller for a six-out save to protect a 3-2 lead, deploying the hard-throwing right-hander after a clean eighth inning that featured two strikeouts against the heart of the Milwaukee lineup. But the formula that carried the Padres through the regular season unraveled in the ninth. Miller walked the bases loaded for Chourio.
Jackson Chourio Delivers the Walk-Off Single in the Ninth
Chourio fell behind in the count before finding a pitch he could handle against the erratic closer. Jackson Chourio’s walk-off winner against the San Diego Padres in Game 2 is the third postseason walk-off win in franchise history, joining past heroics by Nyjer Morgan in 2011. This time, the young outfielder lined a 101 mph four-seamer up the middle, just out of the reach of a diving Jake Cronenworth, plating two runs to set off a wild celebration.
“I knew that he was a little bit erratic. He was throwing some balls. I knew he was going to come at me with the fastball at some point, so mentally I was just making sure I was prepared for that.”
Jackson Chourio, Brewers outfielder
Mason Miller expressed a desire for a mulligan after shooting himself in the foot three times, noting that while a base hit with nobody on doesn’t win a game, a base hit after walking the bases loaded does.
Michael King Controls the Early Innings Before Milwaukee Strikes
For most of the afternoon, the visiting side held the statistical advantage. Padres starter Michael King flirted with history before Christian Yelich doubled in the fifth inning. Sal Frelick followed with a single to drive in Yelich, cutting San Diego’s lead to 2-1.
San Diego manufactured its runs through a combination of timely hitting and Milwaukee defensive miscues. Ty France opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning off rookie Logan Harrison, following a walk to Manny Machado and a wild pitch. In the fourth, the Padres added an unearned run when shortstop Cooper Pratt threw wildly to first base on a potential double-play grounder, allowing Luis Campusano to score. France added his second RBI of the day in the seventh inning, bouncing a single into right field to score Fernando Tatis Jr. and make it 3-1. That insurance run proved vital, but the Padres ultimately went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners stranded.
Defensive Miscues and Missed Opportunities Define the Series Shift
“We didn’t play special. When do you see us make four defensive miscues in a game in the infield? … We gave up all those free bases, and we’re lucky to stay in the game. I attribute our pitching staff making quality pitches to keep us in those games. But it’s not like us to make those errors.”
Pat Murphy, Brewers manager, via Mlb
San Diego also contributed to its own defensive troubles in the seventh when Jake Cronenworth mishandled a slow grounder from David Hamilton and threw wildly to first, allowing Garrett Mitchell to score and pull Milwaukee within 3-2. The Padres squandered another golden chance in the eighth when Jackson Merrill and Samad Taylor opened with consecutive singles, but Xander Bogaerts struck out looking against Aaron Ashby and Freddy Fermin grounded into a double play.
Game 3 Shifts to Petco Park With San Diego Facing Elimination
The loss marks the first time San Diego has dropped consecutive games since Sept. 1 and 2. The 4-3 walk-off loss leaves the club facing a 2-0 deficit as the series shifts west.