Padres (Pivetta) vs Brewers (May): 10/6/26, 8:30pm

[Frisbee Slider]

The best team in baseball takes on the hottest team in baseball™ in Game 3 at Petco Park. A Brewers win advances Milwaukee to the NLCS.

Nick Pivetta has a 1.64 ERA in five starts since returning from IL in September. All September starts were 5 IP or less.

Dustin May has been excellent against San Diego this season. 1.23 ERA against the Padres in 2026 spanning three starts.

[Frisbee Slider]

Not pictured: Walker Buehler returned to the active roster and is presumably available for multiple innings.

[adambr2]

Hard to believe but the Brewers have not won a playoff game on the road since Game 3 of the 2018 NLCS in Los Angeles. Time for that to end tonight. 

[Underachiever]

Gonna be a long day. 13 hours to first pitch

[igor67]

Let's get up early by a nice 5 run margin, let May have a good day and go 5 or 6 before turning it over to the B side of the pen.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

There's just no rest in a playoff run. I still feel like the series completely turns if we don't get this one and then just feel certain it will go back to MKE which I just want no part of.

[HarveysWBs]

I’m not sure how a team comes back from this:

and frankly, I don’t want to find out.

So I hope we have good May, and that the lefty bats are cooking, and we extinguish their flickering flame tonight.

[bucks2281]

If my math is correct, this franchise in road playoff games:

11 straight losses

3-17 since 2008

6-21 all time

[Frisbee Slider]

Teams that have won the first two games at home in Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format have gone on to win the series 33 of 36 times (92%). 

source: MLB.com

[Frisbee Slider]

10 minutes ago, HarveysWBs said:

I’m not sure how a team comes back from this:

and frankly, I don’t want to find out.

So I hope we have good May, and that the lefty bats are cooking, and we extinguish their flickering flame tonight.

I agree. We don’t want San Diego to win tonight and have every reason to believe they will win Game 4 to send it back to Milwaukee.

[Underachiever]

40 minutes ago, igor67 said:

Let's get up early by a nice 5 run margin, let May have a good day and go 5 or 6 before turning it over to the B side of the pen.

I don't think there is a chance we see the B bullpen if they are up by any margin late. To put it in laymen's terms, there is no Chafin-proof lead today.

[MrTPlush]

41 minutes ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

There's just no rest in a playoff run. I still feel like the series completely turns if we don't get this one and then just feel certain it will go back to MKE which I just want no part of.

We have been in this spot 3 times in recent memory. Twice the series ended up back in Milwaukee and once we simply completed the sweep.

I can’t imagine us losing three games in a row, but also, I won’t act like this series isn’t going to end up a nailbiter anyway.

[Turning2]

The day off gave us fans a chance to revel in the walk off, relive it many times over without needing to switch focus on another game immediately. The Brewers got to bask in the glow. I wonder how it affected SD. Helped or hurt? They could either stew and let it gnaw at them, or maybe the extra time helped soothe the psychological gut punch. 

[owbc]

The Brewers have never swept a postseason series. 
 

Until tonight! 

[adambr2]

3 minutes ago, owbc said:

The Brewers have never swept a postseason series. 
 

Until tonight! 

Thought for sure they swept the Rockies in 2018.

[owbc]

2 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

Thought for sure they swept the Rockies in 2018.

Correction…

The Brewers have never swept the Padres in a postseason series…

until tonight! 

[Frisbee Slider]

This one should end around midnight central time?

[thammondwis]

I think May is the right choice for game 3 even though I think Gasser is pitching better.

May has more experience which should help in a hostile environment.  Will give Gasser time to take it all in if he is needed for game 4.

May has good stats against San Diego.

Results in a more favorable game 4 matchup Gasser vs (short rest King or Buehler or whoever) if game 4 is needed. 

2-0 lead allows Murph to be more strategic in pitcher selections for game 3.  Can use Drohan and Harrison for bulk innings if things don't go well and save high leverage arms for games 4/5.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I like May as well because they're up 2-0 and there is margin for error even though we feel like there isn't. If he obviously doesn't have it you can yank him. If he does you have some faith in him to start again in the LCS. It was just beyond huge for Chourio to get that hit. For everyone's heroics in that inning. This series is tilted completely in their favor if we lose that game. 

It reminds of Game 4 of the '18 LCS that went to 13 innings and we so painfully almost went up 3-1 only to lose at 2am. It turned the series.

[WilsonFanInWakeCoNC]

44 minutes ago, Frisbee Slider said:

This one should end around midnight central time?

Most likely, 1am for me in RVA tonight 

[WilsonFanInWakeCoNC]

Heading up to RVA today wearing all my brewers stuff... LETS GO

[liveforoctober]

I like May for the same reasons I would have liked Quintana to start Gm3 last year in Wrigley.

Petco will be ferel tonight. I'd be leery to throw Gasser or Harrison or Drohan, etc into that fire for their first playoff opportunity (I know Gasser threw last year). Who knows if May pitches well but I don't think the environment will eat him up the way it might a newer player. Gm4 is better for the younger starter because they will have already sat through a game there.

[Menotti80]

How amazing would it be to have "April-June" Kyle Harrison starting tonight?

Alas...

[liveforoctober]

Sidenote, I wonder who Rengifo is cheering for secretly. The Padres should be the answer because that is his current team and they gave him a chance after he was released... but Milwaukee is his best chance at a ring.