Umpire's roof-rule warning to Brewers proved prophetic in NLDS Game 1

Home plate umpire Nic Lentz explained American Family Field's roof ground rule before Ty France's ninth-inning drive struck it in the Brewers' 3-2 NLDS Game 1 win over San Diego.

Rain in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, forced the Brewers to close the roof at American Family Field on Saturday night for Game 1 of their National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres. By the end of the evening, the roof had worked its way into the outcome, as Milwaukee held on for a 3-2 win decided in part by a ball that struck it.

The pivotal moment came in the top of the ninth inning with the Brewers leading 3-2. With one out and a runner on first base, San Diego's Ty France hit a ball high and deep. Off the bat, it looked like a drive with a chance to clear the fence, which would have put the Padres ahead 4-3 with one out to go.

Instead, France's fly ball hit the roof and dropped straight down into the glove of Jackson Chourio. It was ruled an out, the second of the inning, and it ended San Diego's threat on the spot. The call generated debate on social media, but the stadium's ground rules state that the ball stays live even when it strikes the roof.

After the game, Brewers third-base coach Matt Erickson shared an unusual detail about the sequence. He said home plate umpire Nic Lentz had explained the ground rule for that exact scenario before it ended up mattering.

"He gets through [explaining] the whole thing, and I looked at everybody and said, 'I haven't seen it in six years, but it's definitely happening tonight.' And they all started laughing. It's unbelievable," Erickson said, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Chourio earned credit for completing the catch that preserved Milwaukee's one-run lead, and the Brewers finished off the victory in the series opener. Milwaukee then made it two wins in two days, trailing 3-2 on Sunday in Game 2 before finding another late answer.

This time the swing belonged to Chourio. His two-run walk-off single gave Milwaukee the Game 2 win and a 2-0 lead in the NLDS, with the same player who made the Game 1 catch delivering the decisive hit a day later.

San Diego has reason to believe the series is far from over. The Padres won 51 of their 91 games at home this year, a mark that shows how effective they can be in their own ballpark. That home form means the rest of the series promises Milwaukee no easy path, even with its 2-0 lead.

Some observers already treat a two-games-to-none deficit as nearly impossible to escape, though San Diego's home record argues against that view. Either way, the first two games of this NLDS have hinged on the smallest details, and Milwaukee has come out on top each time.