Padres' uncanny ability to foul off pitches chases Misiorowski from NLDS opener after 4 innings

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jacob Misiorowski opened his first career playoff start Saturday night by throwing a 104.8 mph strike to Fernando Tatis Jr. — the fastest postseason pitch since tracking began in 2008.

The next delivery to Tatis was 104.6 mph, the second-fastest of the tracking era.

Yet the San Diego Padres hung tough against the NL Cy Young Award favorite by fouling off 30 of his 88 pitches — 31 if you count Xander Bogaerts' popup that was caught in foul territory — to chase the Milwaukee Brewers ace after four innings in Game 1 of their NL Division Series.

That matched the average length of Misiorowski’s three postseason relief appearances during the Brewers’ run to the National League Championship Series last year, when he posted a 1.50 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 12 playoff innings.

Misiorowski’s presence was a major reason why the Brewers entered the postseason believing they had a legitimate shot at winning their first World Series title. The Brewers have home-field advantage throughout the postseason after winning a franchise-record 103 games during the regular season.

In his first full season in the big leagues, Misiorowski posted a 1.80 ERA, struck out 252 batters and limited hitters to a .157 batting average to lead the majors in all three categories. The only other pitchers since 1950 to finish a season atop all three of those categories were Sandy Koufax in 1965, J.R. Richard in 1979 and Mike Scott in 1986, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

That .157 opponents’ batting average was the lowest since 1900 for an AL or NL pitcher with 100 or more innings, improving upon Pedro Martinez’s .167 in 2000. Misiorowski's 0.80 WHIP (walks and hits allowed per innings pitched) was the lowest in a full regular season for pitchers with at least 150 innings since Martinez’s 0.73 in 2000.

Misiorowski’s 1,115 pitches of 100 mph or more were the most in a season during the tracking era, shattering the prior mark of 673 by Jordan Hicks in 2018.

But the 6-foot-7 right-hander wasn’t as dominant as usual Saturday as the Padres drove up his pitch count.

San Diego even touched up Misiorowski for two runs in the second inning, which marked a giant step forward from the only other time the Padres faced him. Misiorowski struck out 10 and allowed four hits in seven shutout innings against them on May 13, though San Diego rallied to win that game 3-1 on Gavin Sheets’ three-run homer off Abner Uribe with two outs in the ninth.

Bogaerts, Ethan Salas and Luis Campusano hit consecutive one-out singles, with Campusano’s base hit to right field driving in Bogaerts. Jake Cronenworth then hit a broken-bat grounder, and first baseman Jake Bauers was unable to throw out Salas at the plate.

San Diego could have done even more damage, but Manny Machado grounded out to leave the bases loaded.

Those were the only two runs allowed by Misiorowski. He struck out six while allowing four hits and one walk.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski tosses out San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. during the second inning in Game 1 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts after striking out San Diego Padres' Luis Campusano during the fourth inning in Game 1 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts after striking out San Diego Padres' Luis Campusano during the fourth inning in Game 1 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Cornell's president called the alleged gang rape of a student at a fraternity house in 2024 “deeply disturbing” Saturday, said it would weigh on the university for years to come and pledged greater transparency amid mounting outrage over the school’s handling of the case.

In an eight-minute video message to the Cornell community, Michael Kotlikoff described the past week as one of the most difficult in the university’s history and acknowledged troubling questions about the investigations that followed the allegations.

“My heart aches when I think of what she experienced,” Kotlikoff said. “It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use.”

Kotlikoff reaffirmed his commitment to supporting an independent review of Cornell's handling of the case called for by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and said the school's Board of Trustees would announce details next week. He also expressed support for Hochul’s decision to turn the criminal investigation over to the state attorney general.

“I want to acknowledge something that can be difficult for an institution to say,” Kotlikoff said. “We don’t have all the answers, but we are committed to investigating and finding the answers our community deserves.”

Scrutiny has mounted in recent days over Cornell’s response to allegations that the woman was sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members in 2024. The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, has sued the university and seven former students.

During a student assembly hearing Thursday that gave students an opportunity to voice concerns and discuss proposals to improve Cornell’s response to sexual assault, several speakers called for Kotlikoff’s resignation.

Hochul, asked at a news conference Friday whether she believed Kotlikoff should resign over the university’s handling of the case, declined to take a position, saying she did not yet have enough information.

Kotlikoff acknowledged frustration that Cornell has not communicated enough, saying that has led to distrust. While citing “real legal and privacy limits” on what the university can disclose, he pledged greater transparency and more opportunities for students, parents and others to engage with university leaders.

He also committed Cornell’s support to legislative efforts to change New York’s sexual assault laws.

The case has renewed scrutiny of a state law that makes it difficult to prosecute sexual assaults involving people who voluntarily consume alcohol or drugs, even if they became too intoxicated to consent.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten cited the law in defending his initial decision not to pursue charges, saying the woman’s original statement to police described voluntary drug use and sexual activity.

Critics have long sought to close what they call the “voluntary intoxication loophole,” which distinguishes between people incapacitated by drugs administered without their consent and those who voluntarily became intoxicated. Hochul has pledged to push for changes to the law.

Kotlikoff also called for a “serious look at the role of fraternities and sororities in campus life,” saying Cornell would engage students, alumni and others in examining how to preserve the benefits of Greek life while strengthening accountability and transparency.

“Being part of a group can never diminish individual responsibility for our own actions, for how we treat others or for speaking up when someone may be at risk,” he said.

Pedestrians walk on the campus at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)