Following a thrilling victory in Game 1, highlighted by home runs from Jackson Chourio and William Contreras and a late roof closure in the ninth inning, the Milwaukee Brewers aim to extend their lead to 2-0 in the series this afternoon.
The Brewers will start right-hander Logan Henderson, who is making his postseason debut. Henderson finished the regular season with a 2.47 ERA and has never allowed more than three earned runs in any of his starts so far.
“He’s an old-fashioned executor,” said Pat Murphy.
On the other side, the San Diego Padres will send their ace, Michael King, to the mound. King dominated in his Wild Card start against the Cubs, pitching seven innings with just one hit allowed, no runs surrendered, and eight strikeouts. This season, King sports a 3.21 ERA and has a perfect 3-0 record in postseason starts.
“I think the biggest thing with Mike is he sets the tone, and as we saw in San Diego during the Wild Card series, he pounds the strike zone and keeps hitters off balance,” Murphy explained.
The Brewers’ offense will try to disrupt King’s rhythm. Jackson Chourio, the team’s top performer in clutch moments, leads off again, followed by Brice Turang and Jake Bauers. William Contreras bats cleanup, with Garrett Mitchell moving up to fifth. Christian Yelich will serve as designated hitter batting sixth, Sal Frelick starts in right field and bats seventh, Cooper Pratt hits eighth, and David Hamilton rounds out the lineup at third base.
The Padres’ lineup features only slight adjustments from Game 1. Fernando Tatis Jr., Dustin Harris, and Manny Machado lead off the order. Ty France, Jackson Merrill, and Ethan Salas form the middle of the lineup, with Salas swapping spots with Xander Bogaerts, who drops to seventh. Luis Campusano bats eighth and catches today after being the DH yesterday, with Salas serving as DH in return. Jake Cronenworth hits ninth.
Pat Murphy also announced that Dustin May will start Game 3 in San Diego on Tuesday. May, a seasoned pitcher, has faced the Padres more than any other team in his career and holds a 3.14 ERA against them.
The Brewers will need Henderson to pitch deeper into today’s game, following Jacob Misiorowski’s four-inning outing in Game 1. With five relievers used to cover the last five innings then, the Brewers face a tough challenge against King.
This matchup is shaping up to be another pitching duel. Although there was plenty of base traffic in Game 1, runs were hard to come by. If that trend persists, the scoring floodgates might soon open.
Additionally, the roof will remain open for today’s game—a rare October occurrence thanks to the clear, sunny weather. While the back panels will be closed, players like Ty France will no doubt enjoy the open roof conditions.
Logan Henderson versus Michael King. Brewers versus Padres. Game 2 of the NLDS, with Milwaukee aiming for a 2-0 series lead before the action shifts to San Diego.
Fan Take: This matchup underscores the season-defining moments that make postseason baseball so captivating, with emerging young arms like Henderson challenging established stars like King. For fans, it highlights the evolution of pitching depth and strategic adjustments that continue to elevate the sport’s excitement and unpredictability.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
