Milwaukee Brewers News Roundup — October 8, 2026

The Brewers advanced to the National League Championship Series by defeating the San Diego Padres 3-1 in Game 4 of the NLDS, clinching the series in four games with a victory in San Diego. Robert Gasser allowed one run over four innings while the bullpen dominated, and Garrett Mitchell provided the decisive moment with a leaping catch in the ninth that robbed Manny Machado of a potential game-tying home run. Mitchell also drove in a run with a single in the third, while Jackson Chourio and Brent Frelick added run-scoring hits.

The Brewers will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS for the second consecutive year, but this team looks substantially different from last year's squad that was swept in four games while scoring just four runs total. Jacob Misiorowski, the NL Cy Young front-runner, had the best single-season performance by a Brewers pitcher in franchise history, and the rotation is significantly deeper with Logan Henderson, Dustin May, Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan, and Kyle Harrison providing multiple options beyond the ace.

Manager Pat Murphy's bullpen strategy proved decisive in the series. After being swept by the Padres in August, Murphy adjusted his approach to pull starters early and lean heavily on his relief corps. In the NLDS, the bullpen threw 19 innings while allowing just one earned run for a 0.47 ERA, never allowing the Padres more than two runs in any game. Murphy strategically preserved his top relievers for critical moments while using depth options in lower-leverage situations, a contrast to Padres manager Craig Stammen's approach of exhausting his best arms early.

Sal Frelick emerged as an unsung contributor despite not starting Game 1, collecting hits in all three games he played while scoring two runs, driving in two runs, drawing two walks, and stealing a base. His strong performance creates a difficult lineup decision for Murphy heading into the Dodgers series, as the 26-year-old has proven he deserves regular at-bats against right-handed pitchers.