Midseason additions of Misiorowski and Vaughn have played big role in getting Brewers to NLCS

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Andrew Vaughn and Jacob Misiorowski were both in the minor leagues with separate organizations at the start of June, one on the way up and the other on the way down.

Four months later, they played key roles in helping the Milwaukee Brewers reach the National League Championship Series.

Vaughn hit a tiebreaking homer in the fourth inning that put Milwaukee ahead for good Saturday night in its 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the decisive Game 5 of their NL Division Series. Misiorowski earned his second win of the series by allowing just one run over four innings in relief.

“It’s insane,” Misiorowski said during the Brewers’ clubhouse celebration. “It’s everything I’ve worked for, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Their arrivals in Milwaukee were indirectly connected.

When Misiorowski was promoted from the minor leagues in June, he took Aaron Civale’s spot in Milwaukee’s rotation. Civale reacted to the bullpen assignment by saying he wouldn’t mind getting traded to a team that would allow him to continue starting.

The Brewers then sent Civale to the Chicago White Sox in a deal that brought them Vaughn. Civale ended up finishing the season with the Cubs, and he pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings in this series.

At the time of the trade, there was little reason to believe Vaughn would become a major factor for Milwaukee this season. He had batted .189 with a .218 on-base percentage and .314 slugging percentage in 48 games with the White Sox, who eventually sent him to the minor leagues. The Brewers initially kept him in the minors after acquiring him.

But he got called back up to the majors July 7 after Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins went on the injured list with a sprained left thumb. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy greeted Vaughn by letting him know he would probably get sent right back to the minors if he continued chasing pitches outside the strike zone.

Vaughn homered off Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his first at-bat with the Brewers and improved his chase rate in making a remarkable transformation. He batted .308 with a .375 on-base percentage and .493 slugging percentage in 64 games with Milwaukee.

“This guy’s a gamer,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. “He’s been through a lot, and he’s failed, just like all of us. We’ve all failed in this sport. If you haven’t, you haven’t been doing it long enough. So we’ve all failed. For that guy to come in here and be himself and put the team on his back at times this year is really awesome.”

Vaughn offered simple reasons for his dramatic improvement.

“Change of scenery, being around some different coaches, different stuff and just playing free,” he said.

Vaughn put the Brewers ahead Saturday by connecting on a 3-2 pitch from Colin Rea and hitting a 383-foot drive over the left-field wall with two outs in the fourth. That cleared the way for Misiorowski to earn the Game 5 win.

Misiorowski had his own ups and downs this season.

The flamethrowing right-hander burst onto the scene and made such an impact that he earned an All-Star Game selection after making just five starts, a stretch that included winning head-to-head pitching matchups with Cy Young Award favorite Paul Skenes and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.

Then the rookie went on the injured lift with a left tibia bruise. He returned in mid-August but allowed 22 runs over 32 2/3 innings the rest of the season, a slump that led to concern about how much the Brewers could trust the excitable right-hander in a postseason setting.

“We weren’t easy on him,” Murphy said. “I didn’t spend a lot of time trying to pump him up. I wanted to find out what he had, because I knew with that kind of stuff, he could really help us.”

He helped them tremendously.

Misiorowski threw three shutout innings in a Game 2 victory while reaching a peak velocity of 104.3 mph and hitting at least 100 mph on 31 of his 57 pitches. Misiorowski entered in the second inning of Game 5 and immediately gave up a tying homer to Seiya Suzuki, but the 23-year-old silenced the Cubs from there.

He struck out three while allowing three hits and just the one run. He averaged 100.3 mph on his 17 fastballs, with 10 of them reaching at least 100 mph.

And for the first time in his brief major league career, Misiorowski didn’t walk a single batter.

Misiorowski’s stellar NLDS performance virtually assures he will play a vital role when the Brewers face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series beginning Monday.

“You see how much Miz cares,” Arnold said. “That’s what it’s about. In a game like tonight, you can see he’s bleeding blue and gold.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn (28) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning of Game 5 of baseball's National League Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn (28) hits a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning of Game 5 of baseball's National League Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers' Andrew Vaughn hits a home run during the fourth inning of Game 5 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts to an out against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning of Game 5 of baseball's National League Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A business jet crashed Thursday while trying to return to a North Carolina airport shortly after takeoff, killing all seven people aboard, including retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family, authorities said.

The Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground. It had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, but soon crashed while trying to return and land, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.

Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by Biffle. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, nor was the reason for the plane's return to the airport in drizzle and cloudy conditions.

Federal Aviation Administration records show Biffle was rated to fly helicopters and single and multi-engine planes. It wasn't clear if Biffle was piloting the plane at the time of the crash.

Biffle was on the plane with his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, according to the highway patrol and a family statement. Others on the plane were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.

“Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives,” the joint family statement said.

Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.

NASCAR said it was devastated by the news.

“Greg was more than a champion driver; he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” NASCAR said. “His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.”

The plane, bound for Florida, took off from the Statesville airport shortly after 10 a.m., according to tracking data posted by FlightAware.com.

Golfers playing next to the airport were shocked as they witnessed the disaster, even dropping to the ground at the Lakewood Golf Club while the plane was overhead. The ninth hole was covered with debris.

“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s way too low,’” said Joshua Green of Mooresville. “It was scary.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were investigating.

The Cessna plane, built in 1981, is a popular mid-sized business jet with an excellent reputation, aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said. It has two engines and typically seats six to eight passengers and two pilots.

In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the U.S., even using his personal helicopter to deliver aid to flooded, remote western North Carolina.

“The last time I spoke with Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica. That’s who the Biffles were," U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, said.

Wadsworth was Biffle's friend and helped him with odd jobs, including delivering supplies to places hit by Hurricane Helene, roommate Benito Howell said.

“He didn’t know how to say no,” Howell said of Wadsworth, who had worked for several NASCAR teams. “He loved everybody. He always tried to help everybody.”

The joint family statement also spoke about Dutton and his son Jack, saying they were "deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them."

With 2025 almost over, there have been 1,331 U.S. crashes this year investigated by the NTSB, from two-seat planes to commercial aircraft, compared to a total of 1,482 in 2024.

Major air disasters around the world in 2025 include the plane-helicopter collision that killed 67 in Washington, the Air India crash that killed 260 in India, and a crash in Russia’s Far East that claimed 48 lives. Fourteen people, including 11 on the ground, died in a UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky.

Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Jenna Fryer in Charlotte, North Carolina; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Ed White in Detroit; and Sarah Brumfield in Washington contributed to this story.

FILE - Former driver Greg Biffle waves to fans prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Darlington Raceway, Aug. 31, 2025, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)

FILE - Greg Biffle smiles along pit row during qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/David Tulis, File)

FILE - Greg Biffle celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)

First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

This screengrab made from video provided by WSOC shows firefighting crews responding to a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., erupting in a large fire, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2025. (WSOC via AP)