With Jacob Misiorowski missing his A-game, Brewers rally to take NLDS Game 1 via the long ball

But for the man who will likely win the 2026 NL Cy Young Award in a few weeks, Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday against the San Diego Padres didn't go the way that most of his starts did this season.

The Padres attacked Misiorowski early and made the Brewers' ace work for everything. And with San Diego's hitters fouling off pitch after pitch — rather than swinging and missing — and pushing across two early runs, Misiorowski's pitch count was up to 67 through three innings, and he was clearly headed toward a shorter-than-normal outing.

With their flame-thrower missing his A-game ( even if he did set another record ), the Brewers were going to have to find another winning formula if they were going to take Game 1. And in their 3-2 victory over San Diego , the Brewers' path to victory wasn't exactly one they're known for as a team.