The San Diego Padres are now in a precarious position after losing two games to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series. The team heads back to Petco Park with no margin for error as they prepare for Game 3 of the series.
Game 1 was especially painful for the Padres after Ty France was denied a potential go-ahead home run when his fly ball struck a roof cable at American Family Field. Jackson Chourio caught the ball for an out.
Game 2 ended with another difficult loss after Mason Miller was called upon for a six-out save in the late innings.
Miller had only completed one such save before this moment in his career and failed to do so again. Jackson Chourio hit a two-run single with two outs in the ninth to give Milwaukee a 4-3 walk-off victory.
The Padres have struggled offensively in the series and scored just five runs across the first two games according to Yahoo Sports. They left 20 runners on base and went just 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Ty France has been the only consistent performer at the plate for the Padres so far in this series.
France went 3-for-7 with two RBI and would have had more if not for the roof interfering with a potential go-ahead home run. Dustin May will start for Milwaukee and has had command issues this season but has performed well against San Diego in the past. He has allowed only three earned runs in three starts against the Padres this year.
Nick Pivetta will be the Padres' starter and is expected to provide a boost to their chances. Pivetta has been effective since returning from injury though he has not pitched more than five innings in recent starts.
The Padres bullpen had a rest day on Monday after a tough weekend in Milwaukee. This gives them several options to draw from in Game 3 including Jason Adam; Yuki Matsui; and David Morgan. Joe Musgrove may also see action if the Padres build a significant lead in the game.
San Diego's lineup has been unable to find consistent offense and is relying heavily on France’s performance. The Brewers are currently leading the series two games to zero according to Yahoo Sports. Game 3 is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. EDT on FS1.
This game will be a crucial one for both teams as the Padres try to extend their season and the Brewers look to advance.