Garrett Mitchell turned a tense eighth inning at Petco Park into the defining image of Milwaukee’s National League Division Series victory, climbing at the wall to take a potential two-run, game-tying homer away from Manny Machado and seal the Brewers’ path to the NLCS.
Milwaukee beat San Diego, 3-1, in Wednesday’s Game 4 to finish the series, and Mitchell was in the middle of nearly every decisive moment. The center fielder drove in the first run, scored the eventual go-ahead run and then made the defensive play that kept the Padres from drawing even late.
Machado sent a deep drive toward the outfield wall in the eighth with the Brewers protecting a two-run advantage. Mitchell tracked it back, rose above the fence and came down with the baseball before it could change the game.
“I was trying to get back to the wall,” Mitchell said. “It was hit really well. It happened fast. I just relied on instinct, got a good jump and was able to get to it.”
Machado could only tip his cap afterward. “Tough break,” he said. “Great play. I should have hit it harder.”
A reset for Milwaukee’s left-handed bats
The breakthrough came after manager Pat Murphy met separately with Mitchell, Jake Bauers and Brice Turang when the club arrived at the ballpark Wednesday afternoon. All three left-handed hitters had labored through the opening three games against San Diego’s relentless postseason pitching.
Mitchell had gone 2-for-12 with six strikeouts entering Game 4. Bauers, Milwaukee’s regular-season home run leader, was 2-for-11 with six strikeouts, including four in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss. Turang was 1-for-11 after ending an 0-for-10 skid with a bloop hit in Game 3.
Murphy’s message was not about mechanics or chasing individual postseason statistics. He urged them to stay within their games and keep working for the club.
“He didn’t tell me something I didn’t know,” Bauers said. “But hearing it from somebody else was a reminder that I needed to reset. I was trying to do too much. He told me to just be myself.”
Murphy said small playoff samples can distort how players view their performances, especially when every at-bat brings another top-level pitcher or a specialized matchup.
“The offensive line is so small in the postseason because the pitching is right on you,” Murphy said. “You’re seeing the best arms over and over. It’s difficult to get comfortable and difficult to build numbers. The important thing is staying in there for your teammates and not getting down when it doesn’t go your way.”
Mitchell supplies the first punch
Milwaukee had not scored first in any of the first three games of the series. Mitchell changed that in the third inning, driving a 110.3 mph single to center off Walker Buehler with Sal Frelick on second base.
He came back in the fifth against left-hander Robbie Ray and opened the inning with a triple down the right-field line. Jackson Chourio followed with a one-out base hit that brought Mitchell home and put the Brewers ahead for good.
Mitchell finished 2-for-4, while Turang went 1-for-5 and delivered a sharply struck single to left in the seventh.
“I slowed everything down a bit,” Mitchell said. “After a game where you feel like things aren’t going right, it’s easy to put pressure on yourself.”
Bauers did not get the big hit, but his work at the plate helped Milwaukee extend its lead. He drew three walks, singled to right to begin the sixth inning and scored on Frelick’s sacrifice fly for the insurance run.
“That conversation definitely helped me tonight,” Bauers said.
Murphy’s touch shows again
Murphy, already a two-time National League Manager of the Year and a candidate for another honor after Milwaukee’s MLB-best 103-win regular season, has built a reputation for knowing when to make a move. His players also point to the quieter work: the individual talks, the steady confidence and the ability to deliver the right message before frustration becomes a bigger problem.
“Murph has believed in me all year,” Mitchell said. “Through mistakes and through the good and bad, he’s always told me he believes in me. He’s given me every chance to keep being myself. I haven’t had a better coach than him.”
Bauers said those meetings carry weight because Murphy does not call them without purpose.
“When you have a one-on-one with Murph, it isn’t automatically a bad thing,” Bauers said. “But you know something needs to change a little. We were on the same page. I went to sleep thinking about the night before, so coming out and putting together better at-bats felt like a win.”
Now the Brewers move on to the National League Championship Series, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday. Mitchell’s catch will travel with them: one jump at the wall, one Padres rally cut short, and one more reminder that October games can swing on a single baseball in the air.
