Yardbarker
x
Padres vs. Brewers: Breaking down the 2026 season series
San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Padres vs. Brewers: Breaking down the 2026 season series

By Andrew Wright  |  Last updated Oct 1, 2026 12:16 PM ET
Google Add us as a preferred source on Google

One of two National League Wild Card Series wrapped up on Wednesday night when the San Diego Padres completed their two-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs.

The series win for San Diego means it will hit the road and travel to the Midwest for an NLDS showdown against the 103-win Milwaukee Brewers.

The two teams met six times in the regular season, with the Padres taking four of six games from the Brewers. Let's dive into who performed well from each side in those six games.

What did the season series between San Diego and Milwaukee tell us about the Padres?

Offensively for San Diego, it was a bit of an unlikely hero in the regular season series. First baseman Ty France was outstanding against the Brewers, slashing .389/.421/.556, good for an OPS of .977 with a homer and three walks.

Wednesday's playoff hero Gavin Sheets also was stellar against Milwaukee, slashing .308/.471/.589, good for an OPS of 1.009 with four walks and a game-winning home run early in the season.

The San Diego bullpen arms were also solid, especially Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller, who combined for five shutout innings across five appearances.

What did the season series between San Diego and Milwaukee tell us about the Brewers?

Milwaukee did not have much offensive success against San Diego, averaging just 3.5 runs per game. There were still encouraging signs, though, especially from the first base duo of Jake Bauers and Andrew Vaughn.

Bauers had 18 at-bats against the Padres, slashing .278/.381/.444 with three doubles and three RBI. Vaughn hit .294 with two RBI in 17 at-bats.

NL CY Young frontrunner and Game 1 starter Jacob Misiorowski made one start against the Padres in the regular season and it was excellent. Misiorowski tossed seven shutout innings with zero walks and 10 strikeouts. Left-hander Kyle Harrison was also good against the Padres, posting a 2.79 ERA across two starts and 9 2/3 innings.

What could be the deciding factor in the series?

Milwaukee has a slight advantage in the starting pitching department, but the two bullpens may be the deciding factor in the series. 

They ranked first and third in the National League in ERA this season and the ultimate deciding factor may be which bullpen blinks first and lets a late lead slip away.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan. 

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA.