Padres-Brewers NL Division Series Game 1 Matchup By The Numbers

[Steve Drumwright]

 

One of the two pitchers the San Diego Padres acquired at the trade deadline will get the start in Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Left-hander Robbie Ray has the Game 1 assignment as the Padres look to build on the momentum from their two-game Wild Card Series sweep of the Chicago Cubs. Ray did not pitch in that series, but does have recent experience against the Brewers. That came Aug. 12 at Petco Mark in Ray's second start after being traded from the San Francisco Giants. Ray went just four innings, allowing two runs on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts. He did give up a homer to backup Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez, who could very well be in the lineup as the designated hitter. Of all the Brewers hitters Ray has faced, Sanchez is the only one with a homer and he has two in 11 plate appearances.

Ray has a 2.82 ERA in seven career appearances against the Brewers, which includes five runs in 5⅔ innings way back in 2016. No longer does Ray rack up the big strikeout totals, but the 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner with the Toronto Blue Jays still knows how to battle when a tight situation arises. He has faced plenty of those in his nine starts with the Padres, where he has a 5.64 FIP (5.02 ERA) with 27 walks and 33 strikeouts in 43 innings. The Brewers are a patient team, drawing the second-most walks in MLB, and will take whatever walks Ray will provide.

The one, perhaps big, negative against Ray is his previous postseason outings. Ray has appeared in six postseason games, including just two starts, since 2017 and has a 4.58 FIP (7.43 ERA). In both of his starts, he allowed four runs and didn't make it out of the fifth inning.

The Brewers don't have much of a track record vs. Ray and what there is isn't that good. But this is a Brewers team that was No. 2 in MLB in runs and led the league in run differential. They also don't need the long ball to win. They were the only team in MLB to post a winning record (35-30) when they didn't go deep.

Robbie Ray vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Current Batters Table

Rk	Player	B	PA	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	SH	SF	IBB	HBP	GIDP
1	Christian Yelich	L	18	16	4	1	0	0	1	2	2	.250	.333	.313	.646	0	0	0	0	2
2	Gary Sánchez	R	11	10	2	0	0	2	2	1	4	.200	.273	.800	1.073	0	0	0	0	0
3	William Contreras	R	10	6	1	0	0	0	0	4	2	.167	.500	.167	.667	0	0	0	0	0
4	Brice Turang	L	7	7	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	.143	.143	.143	.286	0	0	0	0	0
5	Brandon Lockridge	R	6	6	2	1	0	0	1	0	3	.333	.333	.500	.833	0	0	0	0	0
6	Jackson Chourio	R	5	5	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.200	.200	.200	.400	0	0	0	0	0
7	Sal Frelick	L	5	4	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.250	.400	.250	.650	0	0	0	0	0
8	Joey Ortiz	R	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	.000	.333	.000	.333	0	0	0	0	0
9	Jake Bauers	L	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000	.500	.000	.500	0	0	0	0	0
10	David Hamilton	L	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000	0	0	0	0	0
11	Bryse Wilson	R	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000	0	0	0	0	0
12	Antonio Senzatela	R	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000	0	0	0	0	0

Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
Generated 10/2/2026.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle the Padres will face all postseason is Brewers ace right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award. The Miz led MLB in strikeouts (252 in 174⅔ innings), ERA (1.80), WHIP (0.80) and opponent average (.157).

The 24-year-old Misiorowski, who just completed his first full MLB season, has faced the Padres once and it came this season at American Family Field. In that May 15 game, coming in the early stages of the Padres' two-month offensive funk, Misiorowski struck out 10 over seven innings, allowing four hits and no walks. However, the Friars would go on to win that game 3-1 as Gavin Sheets cranked a three-run homer in the top of the ninth off right-hander Abner Uribe, who at the time was sharing closer duties with right-hander Trevor Megill. Fernando Tatis Jr. had a pair of singles off Misiorowski in that game, while Austin Hays also has two singles against him, but in different games with different teams in different seasons (one last year with the Cincinnati Reds and one this year with the Chicago White Sox).

Misiorowski did pitch for the Brewers in last year's postseason, but as a reliever. He struck out 16 over 12 innings in three appearances.

Jacob Misiorowski vs. San Diego Padres: Current Batters Table

Rk	Player	B	PA	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	SH	SF	IBB	HBP	GIDP
1	Xander Bogaerts	R	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000	0	0	0	0	0
2	Austin Hays	R	3	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.667	.667	.667	1.333	0	0	0	0	0
3	Manny Machado	R	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000	0	0	0	0	0
4	Jackson Merrill	L	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	.000	.000	.000	.000	0	0	0	0	0
5	Gavin Sheets	L	3	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.333	.333	.333	.667	0	0	0	0	0
6	Fernando Tatis Jr.	R	3	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.667	.667	.667	1.333	0	0	0	0	0
7	Ty France	R	2	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.500	.500	.500	1.000	0	0	0	0	0

Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
Generated 10/2/2026.

 

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