SAN DIEGO — Although outfielder Garrett Mitchell graciously accepted the congratulations of Manuy Machado for robbing a home run late in the Milwaukee Brewers’ Division Series victory, it clearly wasn’t all that impressed him.
For Mitchell, the dramatic play was just a foreshadowing of the same daily preparation and meticulous execution that made Milwaukee the best major league team in the regular season — and that now sends the Brewers into the National League Championship Series.
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Mitchell tripled and scored a run in the fifth inning before pinch-hitting Machado at the wall in the eighth, and the Brewers finished off the San Diego Padres with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night, snapping their best-of-five streak in four games.
When Machado came down to the plate, Mitchell was already overshadowed in right center, thanks to Brewer’s scouting reputation. He coolly scouted a 406-foot fly into the bat, and he already knew the wall on that side of Petco Park was short enough that he realized he just needed to catch the ball.
“I think it’s a different kind of confidence and belief in us as a team,” Mania said. “It’s like a calm, subtle confidence. It’s not showboaty. It’s the way everyone believes.”
Brewers tout themselves as ready to handle anything — even something wild enough to silence the rowdy crowd in San Diego during the October heat.
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“It feels good to jump off the bat,” Mitchell said between the Brewers’ postgame beer in the visiting clubhouse celebration. “When I got to the wall, I just had to stay composed and make the catch. I didn’t really jump. I knew the wall wasn’t as high as in other fields.”
Mitchell also homered in Sal Frelick’s first home run in Milwaukee as the Brewers snapped their 12-game postseason losing streak since 2018 and reached the team’s fifth straight League Championship Series.
“So proud of these guys,” Frelick said. “After the first (loss in Game 3), it really starts to creep in that you don’t want to go back to Game 5. Really proud of these guys for coming up today and getting the job done.”
After ousting the Padres in a tight four-game set with five runs, the 103-win pitcher will have NLCS rematch with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who eliminated Atlanta on Wednesday.
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The Dodgers swept Milwaukee last October en route to a second consecutive Series title.
“Why wouldn’t you want another chance to go at it (with the Dodgers) after what happened last year?” asked Mitchell, an Orange County native and UCLA product. “I don’t think there’s any more pressure on us. It’s just … let’s see what we can do.”
Formula of Rome
One night after the Padres avoided elimination in Game 3, Milwaukee asserted its first path to a playoff win since the 2018 NLCS by sticking to its winning formula of the season.
While the four pitchers pitched in a three-hitter and almost all of the defense made big plays, the Milwaukee Bucks worked calmly, 10 hits through the Padres’ defense and enough to score a home run.
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“After yesterday, there was still good energy in the clubhouse,” Smith said. “Nobody was pushing. We just treated it like any other day, like we had nothing to lose. We just had to go out and play our brand of baseball, and that starts with quality at-bats, getting on base, hitting teams, and that’s what we did today.”
Game 2 hero Jackson Chourio capped his high-impact hitting streak against Mitchell as he became the career leader in postseason RBIs at just 22 years old. Chourio has 17 RBIs, six in this series, in 16 playoff games.
Padres offensive struggles
Fernando Tatis Jr. He hit a 429-foot homer on an otherwise tepid night for the Padres, who often attempted the majors’ regular-season bests before falling short of just the fourth NLCS appearance in team history.
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“Unfortunately, man,” Machado said of the long run. “He made a nice play. I should have had it harder. Two more inches, so the ball would have been straight.”
After sitting below .500 and in 11th place in the NL in late July, San Diego squeaked into first place in the wild card and then swept the Cubs in the Wild Card Series last week. The Padres had won 19 of 22 before losing three of four to Milwaukee.
First of all, he went early
Brewers starter and former Padres shortstop Robert Gasser threw four innings of three-hit ball, but Tatis ended his 1-for-19 skid since San Diego’s game-opener with a long shot to center in the third. It was the longest homer ever hit at Petco Park by a San Diego player.
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Padres starter Walker Buehler gave up just three hits and a run, but manager Craig Stammen replaced him with Game 1 starter Robbie Ray after William Contreras’ leadoff single in the fourth.
Mitchell then dribbled a soft line drive through first base and into the right-field corner of the fifth, and scored on Chourio’s infield single. Chourio passed Ryan Braun for the most RBIs in a season in Brewers history.
Jake Bauers led off the sixth inning and advanced to third on a ground-rule double by Cooper Pratt before Frelick’s sacrifice fly scored.
After catching Machadi Mitchell’s fly, second baseman Brice Turang ended the eighth with an acrobatic catch of Ty France heading into the foul ground.