Mitchell’s catch and hitless bullpen send Brewers past Padres 3-1

Garrett Mitchell took a potential game-tying homer away from Manny Machado in the eighth inning, and the Brewers finished a 3-1 win over the Padres on Wednesday to clinch their National League Division Series in four games. Milwaukee advances to face the Dodgers, who eliminated Atlanta earlier in the evening.

Mitchell had already helped build the lead he protected. He drove in Sal Frelick with a third-inning single, then tripled leading off the fifth and scored on Jackson Chourio's single to put Milwaukee ahead 2-1. Mitchell finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

The Padres' best late chance came with Fernando Tatis Jr. at first and one out in the eighth. Machado drove Abner Uribe's pitch toward right-center, where Mitchell reached above the wall to make the catch. A two-run homer would have tied the game. Instead, San Diego had two outs, and Brice Turang caught Ty France's foul popup to finish the inning.

Trevor Megill retired the Padres in order in the ninth. He struck out pinch-hitter Ethan Salas, got Xander Bogaerts to ground out and caught Gavin Sheets looking for the final out. Megill earned the save after Aaron Ashby worked three hitless innings and Uribe supplied a scoreless eighth.

Milwaukee's four pitchers combined on a three-hitter, with nine strikeouts and four walks. Robert Gasser allowed the Padres' only run in four innings. Ashby, Uribe and Megill then held San Diego hitless over the final five frames. The Padres' last hit was Tatis' 429-foot homer leading off the third, which tied the game 1-1.

After Mitchell and Chourio restored the lead in the fifth, the Brewers added a run in the sixth. Jake Bauers singled and advanced on Cooper Pratt's double before Frelick's sacrifice fly brought him home. Bauers reached in all four plate appearances, collecting a hit and three walks; Milwaukee finished with 10 hits and four walks.

Walker Buehler allowed a run and three hits in three innings for San Diego. Robbie Ray gave up the go-ahead run in the fifth, and Jason Adam allowed the sixth-inning insurance run. The Padres used seven pitchers, including Mason Miller, who returned after missing Game 3 on paternity leave. Miller allowed two hits and a walk in a scoreless seventh, escaping when Pratt lined out with the bases loaded.

Adrian Morejon, whose left shoulder had limited his availability earlier in the series, did not pitch. Before Game 4, manager Craig Stammen said the Padres would decide on his availability after his pregame routine. Sheets made a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth.

Milwaukee now has an NLCS rematch with Los Angeles, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday in Milwaukee. The Brewers won three of four tight games against San Diego; Wednesday's pitching and Mitchell's catch ended the series before it could return for Game 5.