The most recent back-to-back San Diego Padres playoff losses in Games 1 and 2 against the Milwaukee Brewers may very well derail what fans were hoping would be a promising postseason campaign.
Following a remarkable run to secure a spot in the 2026 Major League Baseball postseason, San Diego’s playoff losses, which occurred in gut-wrenching fashion, make marching on in the National League Division Series against the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers seem like a mountain too tall to climb.
The Padres fell short in both contests by a single run inside a packed and boisterous Brewers ballpark, but the manner in which it happened may have fully sucked the wind from San Diego’s sails.
Game One on Saturday ended controversially, with Milwaukee prevailing 3-2 after what appeared to be a walk-off home run by San Diego’s Ty France. A towering shot from France hit the ceiling of the stadium, was caught in left field, and originally declared an out. The call stood after a lengthy review, and the following batter, Jackson Merrill, lined out to bring SD’s late-inning comeback to a screeching halt.
Even Mason Miller Couldn’t Stop The Padres Playoff Losses
The very next night, heartbreak was once again in the cards for the Padres. The visitors had a one-run lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and the Brew Crew dealt a devastating blow to the Friars’ hopes of tying up the series. Despite flamethrowing closer Mason Miller on the mound, Milwaukee delivered a walk-off base hit, as two runners came around to score and secure another win for the side from Wisconsin.
Two games and two emotionally draining defeats on the road against a top-tier team may very well have exhausted any hopes of San Diego finally experiencing a deep playoff run. It was 2022 the last time the Padres advanced to the National League Championship Series, and after enduring back-to-back agonizing losses over the weekend, it might be safe to assume the squad from SoCal will have to wait another season before it hoists the coveted World Series silverware.
Fans can dare to dream as big as they want and comebacks do indeed happen in sports, but history isn’t exactly on San Diego’s side. Only 10 times in the history of MLB’s postseason has a team come back from two down to win a five-game series.
It also doesn’t help the Padres’ chances of moving on given who will be on the mound for Milwaukee in Game Three. Former Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May will be handed the ball to start the next matchup, and May has mowed down San Diego’s lineup all season. In three meetings, May pitched 22 innings and allowed only three runs. He’s posted a 1.23 ERA against the Friars and struck out 22 batters while walking just five. He might not be baseball’s best pitcher like Jacob Misiorowski, but his pitching against the Padres is comparable.
Fans had plenty of reason to believe that prior to the start of the series, San Diego would be an extremely formidable foe in the playoffs. The Padres may have posted an 18-6 record to close out the 2026 campaign and won four of six matchups against the Brewers during the regular season, but playoff baseball is different. Milwaukee feels like a side built for a deep postseason run. The Brew Crew scored over 100 runs more than the Padres did this year and Milwaukee allowed the fourth-fewest runs in all of Major League Baseball.
The Brewers are fueled by an unquenchable thirst for a World Series appearance, having been to the postseason in eight of the last nine seasons. The time is now for Milwaukee to take the next step, and it will surely be at San Diego’s expense.
The way the Padres’ playoff losses have played out, it’s starting to feel like the baseball Gods are securely on the Brew Crew’s side.
