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Before Milwaukee and San Diego were set to open their best-of-five National League Division Series, Brewers manager Pat Murphy called the Padres a confident, talented team with a formidable bullpen and major stars in the lineup. San Diego’s late-season surge gave that praise added weight, even as Milwaukee entered with home-field advantage after the majors’ best regular-season record.
What Pat Murphy said about the Padres
“They’re playing so well and they’re super talented, a super talented, confident team right now with, we all know, the best bullpen in baseball, with some real megastars in the lineup,” Murphy said. “And they’re rolling. But that’s what you’re going to face at this time of year.”
Murphy’s assessment was not simply praise for San Diego’s names on the roster: he pointed to a team playing well, carrying confidence, and able to pressure opponents with both its lineup and relief pitching. Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts described a complementary challenge, saying San Diego plays defense, runs the bases, and has speed rather than relying only on home-run swings.
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Why San Diego looked dangerous entering the series
A strong finish after a difficult stretch
According to the Associated Press report syndicated by theScore, the Padres had won 20 of their previous 23 games entering the series. They had been below .500 in late July, then finished strongly and swept the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Series. Milwaukee was also hot, with 15 wins in its previous 18 games.
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Bullpens could shape close games
The AP report highlighted relief pitching on both sides. San Diego’s Mason Miller was listed with a 1.67 ERA, a 47.4% strikeout rate, and a .152 opponent batting average. Milwaukee’s Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill were noted for holding opponents below a .200 batting average. Those figures are the report’s pre-series snapshot, not a guarantee of how either bullpen would perform in the NLDS.
More than power at the plate
Bogaerts characterized the Padres as a team that makes opponents handle defense, baserunning, and speed as well as the threat of their lineup. That description helps explain why Murphy’s praise focused on a complete, confident opponent rather than just a few standout hitters.
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Milwaukee had the record and home-field edge
The Brewers entered at 103-59, the majors’ best regular-season record, and had home-field advantage throughout the postseason for a second straight year, the AP report said. The report also cited Sportradar figures showing Milwaukee went 293-193 over Murphy’s first three seasons as manager, but was 6-13 against San Diego in that span, including 2-4 during the current season. The regular-season head-to-head mark was a notable counterpoint to Milwaukee’s overall record, not a prediction of the series outcome.
Starting-pitcher assignments and roster storylines
The AP report listed Jacob Misiorowski against Robbie Ray as the expected Game 1 matchup and Michael King against Logan Henderson as the likely Game 2 matchup. These were pre-series assignments and expectations; the report’s listed starters and player availability should not be read as confirmed updates after the series began.
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Both teams also had young players in the picture. The report identified San Diego’s Ethan Salas and Jackson Merrill, and Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio, Cooper Pratt, and Luis Lara, as potential starting position players under 24. Salas had become the youngest catcher to appear in a postseason game when he started Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. The report listed Milwaukee starters Misiorowski and Henderson at 24 and Padres reliever Bradgley Rodriguez at 22.
For Milwaukee, Joey Ortiz had been dealing with knee and abdominal issues. Murphy expected Ortiz to be ready to start the series, but that was a pre-series expectation rather than a confirmed later status.
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Murphy’s past with San Diego
Murphy had managed the Padres as interim manager in 2015 after Bud Black was fired, going 42-54, according to the AP report. Reflecting on that period, Murphy said, “I wouldn’t have retained me then either, you know what I mean? I wasn’t ready to be the major-league manager he needed.” His prior connection gave the matchup a personal footnote, while his remarks about the current team centered on its present form and strengths.
What was at stake
Both clubs were seeking their first World Series title. Milwaukee’s only World Series appearance was in 1982; San Diego had appeared in 1984 and 1998. The Brewers had also been swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the previous year’s NLCS, adding postseason context to a club that again had home-field advantage.
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