Roof Truss Turns Away Ty France's Drive as Brewers Take NLDS Opener From Padres
The short version
- The Brewers took NLDS Game 1 from the Padres, 3-2, on October 3 at American Family Field.
- Ty France's would-be two-run homer in the ninth struck a roof truss and was caught; replay confirmed the out.
- William Contreras hit a solo homer off Adrian Morejon in the seventh to give Milwaukee the lead.
- San Diego stranded 12 runners and finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
- Michael King is set to start Game 2 for the Padres on Sunday, airing on FS1.
Ty France's ninth-inning drive struck a roof truss and was caught as the Milwaukee Brewers edged the San Diego Padres 3-2 in Game 1 of the NL Division Series.
The ball Ty France hit in the ninth inning looked like the swing that would flip Game 1 of the National League Division Series. Instead it struck a roof truss at American Family Field and fell back into play, and the Milwaukee Brewers held off the San Diego Padres 3-2 on October 3 to take the series opener.
The Padres went to the ninth trailing 3-2. Dustin Harris began the inning with a single to right, and Manny Machado struck out on three pitches against Milwaukee closer Trevor McGill, bringing France to the plate with a runner aboard and one out.
France connected for a drive that appeared headed out for a two-run homer that would have put San Diego in front. The ball instead deflected off one of the roof's trusses and into the outfield, where left fielder Jackson Chourio made the catch. After umpire conferences and a replay review, the out was confirmed, and Jackson Merrill's line drive to right was caught by Luis Lara to end the game.
Milwaukee had grabbed its lead an inning earlier against the San Diego bullpen. Adrian Morejon retired the first two batters of the bottom of the seventh before William Contreras won a six-pitch battle with a solo homer that put the Brewers in front. Morejon gave up consecutive singles afterward but finished the inning with a strikeout.
San Diego put runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth. McGill entered to face Fernando Tatis Jr., among the hottest hitters in the Padres' lineup, and needed only three pitches to strike him out and end the threat.
The Padres collected more hits than the hosts, 9-7, yet two Milwaukee home runs decided the game. San Diego stranded 12 runners and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position while failing to add to an early two-run lead. The Padres also handled Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski, scoring two runs against him and chasing him from the game after four innings.
Before first pitch, San Diego set a roster unchanged from the one it used in the Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs. The Padres then placed Walker Buehler on the playoff paternity list and added Randy Vasquez to the roster in his place. Xander Bogaerts, meanwhile, has been using a new split grip at the plate over the season's final month, an adjustment he declines to discuss but one that has produced results for him and the team.
Around the majors, Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen pitched the Rays to a shutout win over the New York Yankees. Tarik Skubal led the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Atlanta Braves in their series opener, and the Chicago White Sox stayed hot by beating the Cleveland Guardians in their opener.
The series continues Sunday, October 4, when the Padres visit the Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT and the game airs on FS1. Michael King is set to start for San Diego as the Padres try to pull even.
