Brewers edge Padres 3-2 in NLDS opener that features bizarre play in 9th inning

MILWAUKEE (AP) — William Contreras hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and the Milwaukee Brewers hung on to beat San Diego 3-2 in their NL Division Series opener Saturday night after a potential go-ahead homer by the Padres' Ty France hit the American Family Field roof and landed in outfielder Jackson Chourio's glove for an out.

San Diego had a runner on first with one out in the ninth inning when France hit a towering flyball that struck a railing on the roof before Chourio caught it in fair territory on the left-field warning track.

Under the stadium's ground rules, any batted ball striking the roof or one of its cables in fair territory is a fair ball that can be caught for an out, so Chourio's catch retired France. The Padres unsuccessfully challenged that France's drive was a foul ball.

“We joked about it at the umpire meeting today about what would happen if the ball hit the roof. And it was unlikely, but it happened,” San Diego manager Craig Stammen said. “Unfortunately, a bad break for us. Looked like it was a possible home run. Just didn’t go our way.”

France's drive left his bat at 105.3 mph with a 49-degree launch angle. It was caught 325 feet from home plate.

Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy thought the ball would have hooked foul if it didn't ricochet off the roof.

“It was going to be a foul ball, for sure. I’m standing right on that line,” Murphy said. “A hitter that talented, they would have liked to have that hitter back up there with another strike.”

Jackson Merrill then lined out to right to end the game.

Chourio also hit a two-run homer as the Brewers won for the 16th time in 19 games. San Diego lost for only the fourth time in its last 24 outings despite chasing Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski after four innings.

This best-of-five series continues Sunday with a Game 2 pitching matchup featuring San Diego’s Michael King (12-10, 3.21 ERA) and Milwaukee’s Logan Henderson (11-3, 2.47).

Contreras had gone just 1 for 20 against the Padres this season before delivering the biggest hit of the game on a 3-2 pitch from Adrian Morejon. As his 406-foot shot cleared the wall in right-center field, the three-time All-Star turned to face Milwaukee’s dugout and celebrate in front of teammates on his way to first base.

Contreras joined Boston’s Willson Contreras to become the fifth set of brothers to homer in the same postseason, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The others are Ken and Clete Boyer (1964), Sandy Jr. and Roberto Alomar (1997), Stephen and J.D. Drew (2007) and Bo and Josh Naylor (2025). Willson Contreras homered in Game 2 of Boston's AL Wild Card Series loss to the New York Yankees.

San Diego wasted scoring opportunities all night, particularly late in the game.

The Padres loaded the bases in the seventh against Abner Uribe before DL Hall retired Merrill on a fly to left to end the threat.

San Diego also put runners on first and second with one out in the eighth after Hall issued a pair of walks, but the Padres again failed to capitalize. Austin Hays hit a fly to right against Hall that advanced pinch-runner Samad Taylor to third, then Trevor Megill struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. on three pitches to strand runners on the corners.

Megill then worked around a leadoff single to Dustin Harris in the ninth to pick up the save while getting a major assist from the roof.

“Megill was masterful,” Murphy said. “All five relievers did a heck of a job.”

Milwaukee was opening its postseason Saturday after winning a franchise-record 103 games to earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Misiorowski played a big role in that success by posting a 1.80 ERA, striking out 252 batters and limiting hitters to a .157 batting average to lead the major leagues in all three categories.

Misiorowski opened his first playoff start by throwing a 104.8 mph strike to Tatis, the fastest postseason pitch since tracking began in 2008.

But the 6-foot-7 right-hander left the game earlier than usual as the Padres fouled off 30 of his 88 pitches — 31 if you count Xander Bogaerts' popup that was caught in foul territory.

“His (velocity) dropped 5 mph almost in the second inning. He wasn’t in sync,” Murphy said.

San Diego took a 2-0 lead by scoring a pair of runs off Misiorowski in the second.

Bogaerts, Ethan Salas and Luis Campusano hit consecutive one-out singles, with Campusano’s base hit to right 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 that inning, but Manny Machado grounded out to leave the bases loaded.

The Brewers responded in the third thanks to Chourio, who already has established himself as one of the game’s top playoff performers at age 22.

“He’s gifted. He’s a beautiful spirit. He’s gifted mentally. He’s smiling every day and nothing gets him down. You never see Jack-Jack down,” Murphy said.

With a runner on second and one out, Chourio delivered a 420-foot drive over the wall in left-center for his franchise-record fifth career postseason homer in his 13th playoff game. Chourio had shared the mark with Prince Fielder and Orlando Arcia.

According to MLB.com, the only other players to hit five playoff homers before their 23rd birthday are Kyle Schwarber and Juan Soto.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. hits a single during the seventh inning in Game 1 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series against the Milwaukee Brewers 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)

San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill reacts after flying out during the seventh inning in Game 1 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Milwaukee Brewers' William Contreras reacts after hitting a home run during the seventh inning in Game 1 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series against the San Diego Padres Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers' William Contreras reacts after hitting a home run during the seventh inning in Game 1 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series against the San Diego Padres Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Munetaka Murakami hit a two-run homer, five Chicago pitchers combined for a three-hitter and the White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in Game 1 of their AL Division Series on Saturday.

Colson Montgomery added an RBI double for the White Sox, who have won nine of their last 11 games dating back to the regular season. Chicago advanced to the division series after sweeping Houston in the wild card series.

Cleveland — which won its third straight AL Central title by one game over the White Sox — had the bases loaded with two outs the third and fourth innings, but couldn’t get any runs across.

The White Sox went with a bullpen game for the second time in three postseason contests. It worked again as the pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts.

Bryan Hudson (1-0) got the win and Grant Taylor got the save, going four innings and striking out six while allowing two hits.

Starter Hagen Smith retired the first eight Cleveland hitters before walking Brayan Rocchio, Steven Kwan and José Ramírez to load the bases with two outs in the third. Bryan Hudson came in and got Chase DeLauter to line out to left.

The Guardians didn’t get their first hit until Travis Bazzana’s line-drive double down the right-field line with two outs in the fourth. Austin Hedges drew a walk to load the bases again before Rocchio lined out to right.

DODGERS 6, BRAVES 3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tarik Skubal tossed six dominant innings in triple-digit heat, Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy homered, and Los Angeles beat Atlanta in Game 1 of their NL Division Series.

The game-time temperature of 100 degrees (38 Celsius) fell just short of equaling the Dodger Stadium record of 103 degrees at Game 1 of the 2017 World Series. The feels-like temperature was 105 degrees, with umpires chugging water between innings and fans shielding their heads with giveaway towels on a cloudless day.

Skubal was cool, though.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner allowed one run and two hits, struck out seven and walked two while starting a postseason game at home for the first time in his career. His previous playoff starts were all on the road for the Detroit Tigers, who traded him to the two-time defending World Series champions just before the Aug. 3 deadline.

Skubal’s 63 strikeouts are the second-most in a pitcher’s first seven postseason appearances behind Bob Gibson’s 74.

Game 2 is Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium, when an extreme heat warning remains in effect.

RAYS 1, YANKEES 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Drew Rasmussen didn’t allow a hit until two outs in the eighth inning, Jonathan Aranda homered off Gerrit Cole and Tampa Bay beat New York in their AL Division Series.

Rasmussen retired 15 consecutive batters before Austin Wells doubled with two outs in the eighth inning, ripping a liner just inside the right-field foul line on an inside sinker.

He was easily thrown out on shortstop Taylor Walls’ relay to third baseman Junior Caminero of right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. ’s throw. Wells ran through the stop sign of third base coach Luis Rojas, who raised both arms before Wells rounded second.

Rasmussen dominated a lineup that scored 18 runs in a two-game Wild Card Series sweep of Boston and was still missing three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, sidelined since Sept. 16 by a calf injury.

A 31-year-old righty, Rasmussen struck out 10 and walked two in eight innings. He threw 69 of 101 pitches for strikes, getting 23 swings and misses.

Bryan Baker pitched a perfect ninth for the save, finishing the one-hitter. He struck out pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton, in his first plate appearance since April 24 after recovering from calf injuries, froze Ben Rice with a changeup for a called third strike and retired Cody Bellinger on a grounder to secure Tampa Bay’s first postseason win since losing the 2020 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

BREWERS 3, PADRES 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — William Contreras hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and Milwaukee hung on to beat San Diego in their NL Division Series opener after a potential go-ahead homer by the Padres’ Ty France hit the American Family Field roof and landed in outfielder Jackson Chourio’s glove for an out.

San Diego had a runner on first with one out in the ninth inning when France hit a towering flyball that struck a railing on the roof before Chourio caught it in fair territory on the left-field warning track.

Under the stadium’s ground rules, any batted ball striking the roof or one of its cables in fair territory is a fair ball that can be caught for an out, so Chourio’s catch retired France. The Padres unsuccessfully challenged that France’s drive was a foul ball.

Jackson Merrill then lined out to right to end the game.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Grant Taylor reacts to a win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of baseball's American League Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tim Phillis)