Dustin May starts for Milwaukee as the Brewers try to finish off the Padres and advance to the NLCS.
MILWAUKEE —
The Milwaukee Brewers have a chance to finish the job Tuesday night.
Milwaukee takes a 2-0 lead into Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. A win would complete the sweep and send the Brewers to the National League Championship Series.
First pitch is set for 8:30 p.m.
The Brewers arrive in San Diego after two tight wins at American Family Field.
Milwaukee won Game 1, 3-2, behind home runs from Jackson Chourio and William Contreras. The game also featured a bizarre ninth-inning play when Padres hitter Ty France sent a deep fly ball off a cable attached to the closed roof. Chourio caught the ball for an out, and the ruling stood under the ballpark’s ground rules. Padres manager Craig Stammen said afterward he believed the ball could have been a go-ahead home run.
Then came Sunday’s dramatic Game 2 finish.
Down 3-2 in the ninth inning and one out away from losing, Chourio delivered a two-run walk-off single against Padres All-Star closer Mason Miller for a 4-3 win.
The comeback gave Milwaukee a commanding advantage. In best-of-five postseason series, teams taking a 2-0 lead have gone on to win 89% of the time.
STARTING PITCHERS
Right-hander Dustin May gets the ball for Milwaukee on Tuesday night.
May finished the regular season 7-9 with a 4.70 ERA, but he performed much better against San Diego. He made three starts against the Padres this season and posted a 1.23 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 22 innings.
May did struggle late in the regular season after Milwaukee acquired him from St. Louis. He allowed just three earned runs in his first 13 innings with the Brewers before going 1-2 with a 7.61 ERA over his final eight outings.
San Diego will counter with right-hander Nick Pivetta.
Pivetta finished 3-2 with a 2.86 ERA after missing nearly five months with a right elbow injury. Since returning from the injured list in September, he has a 1.64 ERA.
Pivetta has not faced Milwaukee this season.
The Brewers have won the first two games of this series, but Petco Park has not been friendly to them this year.
San Diego won four of the six regular-season meetings between the teams, including a three-game sweep of Milwaukee at Petco Park in August. The Brewers won two of three when the teams met in Milwaukee in May.
WEATHER COULD BE A FACTOR
Conditions in San Diego will feel much different from a typical October night.
An early October heat wave has pushed temperatures well above normal across Southern California. Highs are expected in the mid-90s Tuesday, with an Extreme Heat Warning in effect.
Temperatures will ease after sunset, but it will still be unusually warm around first pitch. Rain is not expected.
SOLD-OUT WATCH PARTY IN MILWAUKEE
Back home, Brewers fans will pack UW Credit Union Plaza outside American Family Field for the team’s official Game 3 watch party.
The free event is sold out.
The party begins at 7:30 p.m., one hour before first pitch. Fans can watch the game on large outdoor screens, with food trucks, drinks, giveaways and appearances from Bernie Brewer, Barrelman and the Famous Racing Sausages.
The Brewers moved the Game 3 and potential Game 4 watch parties to American Family Field after originally planning events at Davidson Park and in Greendale.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
If the Brewers win Tuesday, they advance to the NLCS.
If San Diego wins, Game 4 will be played Wednesday night at Petco Park.
A deciding Game 5, if necessary, would return to American Family Field on Friday.