It's time for the rematch, folks. The Milwaukee Brewers, winners of 103 games in the 2026 regular season, are going to get a chance at revenge in the National League Championship Series against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.  

The Brewers had to do a little work in Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego on Wednesday night. But they were able to pull off a 3-1 victory, taking the best-of-five series in four games.

Garrett Mitchell was the hero for the Brewers in more ways than one. His at-bats and fielding prowess proved to be a game changer for Milwaukee.

With a workhorse starting pitcher like Jacob Misierowski and others to back him up, that NLCS ought to be one of those must-see TV series. Remember, the Dodgers have Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to prowl around on the mound, too.

It's a bitter pill to swallow for the Padres, who were hoping to reinvigorate their longstanding rivalry with their Southern California neighbors up north on Interstate 5.

The Brewers were not able to score in the first two innings, but their luck changed in the top of the third. Leadoff hitter Sal Frelick reached first base on an infield hit after a great play by Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth.

Garrett Mitchell, who was 2-for-11 in this postseason, followed. Frelick then stole second base off of Padres starter Walker Buehler, getting himself into scoring position. Mitchell came through, taking a Buehler pitch and banging it into right-center field. Frelick scored and the Brewers took a 1-0 lead.

Will that be enough against a pretty high-powered Padres lineup? Probably not. That wrapped up the scoring for Milwaukee.

The Brewers should have added another run, though. San Diego slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. absolutely obliterated a Gasser pitch and sent it soaring over the center-field wall. That drew San Diego into a 1-1 tie with the Brewers in the bottom of the third.

William Contreras hit a leadoff single in the top of the fourth, leading Padres manager Craig Stammen to come out and pull Buehler from the game. He brought in Robbie Ray to work in the fourth inning, fully aware that this was a do-or-die moment on Wednesday night.

The game stayed 1-1 but not for long. Here come the Brewers.

In the fifth, Mitchell led off with a ringing triple down the right-field line. Stammen then took out Ray and replaced him with Bradgley Rodriguez.

Joey Ortiz then grounded out, keeping Mitchell at third base. But Jackson Chourio smashed a single past Rodriguez and right into center field, Mitchell scored and Milwaukee now led 2-1.

With Chourio at first, Christian Yelich hit a single and moved Chourio up to second base. That's where things stood with one out as the Padres pitching coach came out for a meeting on the mound.

After Contreras flied out to Tatis in right field, Stammen came back out and pulled Rodriguez. Yuki Matsui was coming in from the bullpen for the Padres. Matsui got the final out of the inning, keeping things at a one-run lead for the Brewers. San Diego went out quietly in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a dazzling play by shortstop Cooper Pratt to keep Tatis off the basepaths.

Jason Adam came on to pitch for San Diego in the sixth inning. Jake Bauers singled to open the inning, followed by Pratt's ground-rule double. That put runners at second and third with nobody out. Frelick stepped up and connected on a sacrifice fly, scoring Bauers and upping Milwaukee's lead to 3-1.

Through six innings, that's how the game stood. Can Milwaukee keep the Padres' bats in check for three more innings?

San Diego fireballer Mason Miller was brought in at the start of the seventh inning. After two outs, Chourio and Brice Turang singled. Miller walked Bauers to load the bases, setting up a potential big breakout inning right here for the Brewers. Pratt, though, lined out to Jackson Merrill in center field. 

At the seventh-inning stretch, Milwaukee remains up 3-1. Put a note on that inning, though, if the Padres are able to mount a comeback. Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby gave up a two-out walk to Miguel Andujar, bring up a mound visit from the team's pitching coach. Trevor Megill was warming up in the bullpen at this time, too. 

Jase Bowen came on as a pinch runner for Andujar. Ashby, though, struck out Samad Taylor on wicked curveball that caught the outside corner of the plate. That ended the seventh, probably putting the wraps on Ashby's night.

San Diego is pulling out all the stops as it has to do. Joe Musgrove is now on the mound and Tatis has moved to second base. With two innings left, the Padres know that their season hangs in the balance.

Abner Uribe came on in the bottom of the eighth and immediately faced a challenge, trying to get Tatis out to start things. He walked, so that leadoff runner is at first base. Merrill struck out, not able to move Tatis along to second base. Manny Machado came up, but he was robbed by an outstanding leap and catch over the right-center field wall by Mitchell.

That might have been your series-saving play there, folks. Machado thought for sure that he had a game-tying home run, only left to put his hands on his helmet and wonder what might have been. Fox Sports cameras caught Machado slamming his helmet repeatedly into the dugout bench.

Ty France was next and worked Uribe to a 2-2 count but eventually fouled out on yet another fine defensive play by Milwaukee.

Into the ninth inning we go as Musgrove remained on the mound for San Diego. Brewers relief ace Trevor Megill was warming up in the bullpen, getting ready for some ninth-inning work ahead for him. Milwaukee didn't add any runs in their half of the ninth, so the scene was set.

Can Megill get the job done, or will the Padres get off the deck and either tie or win Game 4?

Ethan Salas opened up the inning as a pinch-hitter for Austin Hays. By the way, Milwaukee got Misiorowski up in the bullpen if he was needed, too. The mind games between Brewers manager Pat Murphy and Stammen were in full swing.

With one out, Xander Bogaerts worked a 3-2 count from Megill. Bogaerts, though, grounded out and that left the Padres down to Gavin Sheets as a pinch-hitter. Sheets had been dealing with a neck issue. San Diego hasn't had a hit since Tatis' home run in the third inning.

Sheets got ahead 2-0 on Megill, but Megill moved the count to 2-2. Sheets struck out and that put the wraps on this series.

Better get ready, Brewers fans. The fun is just beginning.