Jackson Chourio Walk-Off Stuns Padres as Brewers Take 2-0 NLDS Lead
Milwaukee rally in the ninth against closer Mason Miller for a 4-3 win in Game 2
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File photo: Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers batting in Anaheim in June 2024. Photo: Sewageboy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
MILWAUKEE — Jackson Chourio lined a two-run single off San Diego closer Mason Miller with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday, lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3 win and a 2-0 lead in their National League Division Series, the Associated Press reported.
It was the second time in about 20 hours that Milwaukee had rallied past the Padres, after a 3-2 victory in Game 1 on Saturday.
How the ninth unfolded
Miller entered with a 3-2 lead, trying for his first six-out save since 2024, and retired the side in order in the eighth, AP said. After a leadoff groundout in the ninth, he walked Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick, the first postseason walks of his career. Pinch hitter Andrew Vaughn flied out before another pinch hitter, Gary Sánchez, drew a full-count walk to load the bases.
Chourio then lined a 101.3 mph fastball up the middle, past a diving Jake Cronenworth at second base. Yelich scored easily and Frelick slid in head first ahead of center fielder Jackson Merrill's throw.
MLB.com said it was the Brewers' third postseason walk-off win and the first last-inning postseason comeback in club history that began with the team trailing. A sellout crowd of 41,683 watched at American Family Field.
"We're a team that never backs down," Chourio said, according to MLB.com. "We're never going to back down from a challenge, and we like these moments."
Padres rue missed chances
Ty France drove in two runs for San Diego. Milwaukee committed three errors, and starter Logan Henderson, making his postseason debut, threw a wild pitch that led to a run in the first inning, MLB.com reported.
Miller took the blame. "I didn't do my job today," he said. "Instead of being here with a win and the series tied, we're in a hole."
"The cardinal rule is you don't beat yourself. I beat myself today," he added.
According to MLB.com, teams trailing 0-2 in best-of-five postseason series have come back to win just 10 of 93 times. Padres manager Craig Stammen said his team liked "where we are when we play at home."
The series resumes in San Diego on Tuesday. Milwaukee is one win from a second straight NL Championship Series appearance as it chases its first World Series title.
Sources: Associated Press (via The Boston Globe); MLB.com
