Brewers edge Padres 3-2 in NLDS opener after ninth-inning roof cable catch

Ninth-inning roof cable controversy

The Milwaukee Brewers secured a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on Saturday night. The game concluded after an unusual sequence in the top of the ninth inning. San Diego had Dustin Harris on first base with one out when first baseman Ty France drove a 1-0 pitch off Milwaukee closer Trevor Megill to deep left field. The batted ball exited France's bat at 105.3 mph with a 49-degree launch angle before striking a support cable suspended from the stadium's closed roof. Left fielder Jackson Chourio caught the falling ball on the warning track 325 feet from home plate for the second out.

San Diego manager Craig Stammen challenged whether the ball was fair or foul, but umpires upheld the catch following video review. Under American Family Field ground rules, any batted ball striking the roof or cabling in fair territory remains live and can be caught for an out. Megill subsequently retired Jackson Merrill on a fly out to right field to complete a four-out save in front of 42,843 fans.

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. The rule is if they deemed the ball to be fair and it comes down you can catch it. If it hits off the roof foul, then it's a foul ball. So they ruled that it hit the roof fair and the outfielder caught it.

Misiorowski tested early by San Diego lineup

Milwaukee started right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who recorded the fastest pitch in MLB postseason tracking history with a 104.8 mph fastball to San Diego leadoff hitter Fernando Tatis Jr., followed by a 104.6 mph delivery. Misiorowski had posted a 1.80 ERA with 252 strikeouts in the regular season while holding opponents to a.157 batting average, the lowest mark by a qualified pitcher since 1900. Misiorowski also threw 1,115 fastballs reaching at least 100 mph during the 2026 regular season, exceeding the previous Statcast tracking record of 673.

Despite Misiorowski's velocity, San Diego forced deep counts by fouling off 30 of his 88 pitches. The Padres scored two runs in the second inning, prompting Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy to remove his starter after four innings. Padres starter Robbie Ray lasted 2 2/3 innings before exiting.

Bullpen battle and Contreras decisive home run

After Misiorowski departed, Milwaukee relied on five relief pitchers who combined to throw five scoreless innings. Antonio Senzatela, Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, DL Hall and Megill contained San Diego's lineup throughout the middle and late innings. Chourio tied the contest with a two-run home run, and catcher William Contreras broke the 2-2 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo home run against Padres left-hander Adrian Morejon.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy referenced the team's longtime radio broadcaster Bob Uecker, who died prior to the 2025 season at age 90, when discussing the ninth-inning roof collision.

I think the only thing that you could probably figure on the ball that everybody's going to be talking about is that 'Ueck' decided to put his hand on it and swat it down so Chourio could catch it. So thanks, Ueck.

Series outlook ahead of Game 2

The victory gave Milwaukee a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-five series. Milwaukee holds home-field advantage after winning a franchise-record 103 games during the regular season. San Diego, which advanced after defeating the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card round, must win three of the next four games. Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday in Milwaukee.