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.
asserted
homer → hit → 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.
asserted
Chourio → have → 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.
asserted
catch → bat → France
The Padres unsuccessfully challenged that France’s drive was a foul ball.
asserted
drive → challenge → ?
“We joked about it at the umpire meeting today about what would happen if the ball hit the roof.
asserted
ball → joke → roof
And it was unlikely, but it happened,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said.
asserted
Stammen → happen → ?
Looked like it was a possible home run.
asserted
it → look → ?
France’s drive left his bat at 105.3 mph with a 49-degree launch angle.
asserted
drive → leave → angle
It was caught 325 feet from home plate.
asserted
It → catch → plate
Jackson Merrill then lined out to right to end the game.
asserted
Merrill → line → game
Chourio also hit a two-run homer as the Brewers won for the 16th time in 19 games.
asserted
Brewers → hit → games
San Diego lost for only the fourth time in its last 24 outings despite chasing Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski after four innings.
asserted
Diego → lose → 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).
asserted
series → continue → King
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.
asserted
Contreras → go → 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.
asserted
Star → clear → 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.
uncertain
Contreras → join → Bureau
Willson Contreras homered in Game 2 of Boston’s AL Wild Card Series loss to the New York Yankees.
asserted
Contreras → homer → Yankees
San Diego wasted scoring opportunities all night, particularly late in the game.
asserted
Diego → waste → 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.
asserted
Hall → load → 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.
asserted
Padres → put → walks
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.
asserted
Megill → hit → 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.
asserted
Megill → work → roof
Milwaukee was opening its postseason Saturday after winning a franchise-record 103 games to earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
asserted
Milwaukee → open → 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.
asserted
Misiorowski → play → 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.
asserted
tracking → open → 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.
asserted
that → leave → territory
“We had a good approach against him today.
asserted
We → have → him
We were able to foul some balls off.
asserted
We → foul → balls
Sometimes that’s hard to say it’s by design,” Stammen said.
asserted
Stammen → ’ → design
“But we just wanted to compete in the box and the guys competed really well.
asserted
guys → want → box
To limit him to only four innings tonight was a job well done by our offense.
asserted
limit → limit → offense
San Diego took a 2-0 lead by scoring a pair of runs off Misiorowski in the second inning.
asserted
Diego → take → inning
Bogaerts, Ethan Salas and Luis Campusano hit consecutive one-out singles, with Campusano’s base hit to right driving in Bogaerts.
asserted
hit → hit → Bogaerts
Jake Cronenworth then hit a broken-bat grounder, and first baseman Jake Bauers was unable to throw out Salas at the plate.
asserted
Bauers → hit → plate
San Diego could have done even more damage that inning, but Manny Machado grounded out to leave the bases loaded.
uncertain
Machado → do → bases
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.
asserted
who → respond → age
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.
asserted
Chourio → deliver → game
Chourio had shared the mark with Prince Fielder and Orlando Arcia.
asserted
Chourio → share → Fielder
According to MLB.com, the only other players to hit five playoff homers before their 23rd birthday are Kyle Schwarber and Juan Soto.
uncertain
players → accord → birthday
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