The Padres vs Brewers NLDS opens Saturday at American Family Field in Milwaukee, where the top-seeded Brewers host a San Diego team that swept the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Series. Game 1 starts at 7:30 p.m. CT (8:30 p.m. EDT) on FS1.
Milwaukee finished 103-59, the best record in baseball, and earned a first-round bye. The Padres beat the Brewers four times in six regular-season meetings, which adds intrigue to the Padres vs Brewers NLDS.
Padres vs Brewers NLDS: Game 1 and series schedule
- Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m. CT, FS1
- Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 4, 3 p.m. CT
- Venue for Games 1-2: American Family Field, Milwaukee
- Game 5, if needed: Oct. 9 in Milwaukee
MLB.com reported that Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson are lined up to start the first two games for Milwaukee. The Padres are expected to open with left-hander Robbie Ray, according to the Times of San Diego.
How did the Padres and Brewers fare in 2026?
San Diego took the August series 3-0 at Petco Park, winning 3-2 on Aug. 10, 11-2 on Aug. 11 and 4-3 in 11 innings on Aug. 12, Yahoo Sports reported. Milwaukee won two of three in May at home. Misiorowski pitched seven innings in the Padres’ win on May 13.
Both teams enter the Padres vs Brewers NLDS playing well. Both have been strong since the All-Star break. The Brewers went 44-22 and the Padres went 43-23, according to Fox Sports.
Can the Padres keep their Wild Card momentum?
San Diego beat Chicago 8-0 in Game 1 behind Michael King, who allowed no hits through six innings. In the clincher, the Padres won 4-1 after Gavin Sheets hit a two-run homer off Daniel Palencia, and closer Mason Miller finished the game.
Catcher Ethan Salas, 20, made history as the youngest postseason catcher during that series.
Bleacher Report said the Padres want their starters to work five or six innings before handing the game to a bullpen led by Miller. The Padres also face a roster decision on right-hander Joe Musgrove, who recently returned after two years away following Tommy John surgery, the Times of San Diego reported.
Can Milwaukee’s contact-heavy offense attack San Diego?
The Brewers led the majors with 1,422 hits and ranked second with 832 runs, Bleacher Report reported. They tied for the best team batting average in the National League at .258.
Milwaukee’s lineup includes outfielder Jackson Chourio, catcher William Contreras and outfielder Sal Frelick, per MLB.com. The Brewers also have a franchise-record 100-win season and the No. 1 overall seed, giving them home-field advantage through the World Series.
Injuries to watch
Andrew Vaughn and Cooper Pratt are expected to recover from recent illnesses by Game 1, MLB.com reported. Infielder Joey Ortiz had a knee MRI that showed encouraging results. Brandon Woodruff’s shoulder setback makes an October return an “extreme long shot,” manager Pat Murphy said.
What is at stake
The Padres vs Brewers NLDS also carries long-term stakes. The Brewers have not played in the World Series since 1982 and have never won it, Fox Sports said. The Padres have reached the NLCS once since 2020, in 2022, and are trying to avoid a third straight playoff exit before the championship series.
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