Stadium roof ends up being MVP for Brewers in win over Padres

San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stadium roof ends up being MVP for Brewers in Game 1 win over Padres

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Oct 4, 2026 9:01 AM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers' decision to close the roof at American Family Field for Game 1 of their NLDS series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night proved to be a game-deciding move.

Had it not been closed, there is a good chance their 3-2 Game 1 win could have turned out very, very differently.

American Family Field roof gets the save for Brewers in Game 1 win over Padres

With the Padres trailing 3-2 in the top of the ninth inning, Ty France hit a towering fly ball down the left-field line that looked like it had a chance to be a go-ahead, two-run home run.

And then this happened.

Oh. My. Goodness.

This ball hit by France looked to potentially be a go-ahead home run, but it hit the roof and was caught, and was ruled an out. pic.twitter.com/E6pnoausP7
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 4, 2026

The ball hit a steel beam that is connected to the roof, and then fell harmlessly into the glove of Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio for the second out of the inning.

Jackson Merrill ended up lining out to right field in the next at-bat to end the game.

Every stadium, and especially indoor stadiums, has different ground rules, and in Milwaukee, if a ball hits off the roof in fair territory, it is considered to be in play. If it lands, it is a hit. If it is caught, it is an out. This ball ended up getting caught.

Would that ball have made it out if it did not hit the roof? That is an almost impossible question to answer, but given where Chourio caught it and how close it was to the wall, it would have certainly had a chance.

Big home-field break for the Brewers. Tough luck for the Padres. Sometimes little things are the difference in games, and that is going to be a frustrating one for the Padres. Especially if it ends up playing a role in determining the series.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on X @AGretz

More must-reads: