MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jackson Chourio says his knack for coming through in clutch situations stems from one instance when he failed to deliver during his rookie year.
Just about every Milwaukee Brewers opponent has been paying for that ever since, as baseball's best closer now knows.
Chourio hit a two-run single off hard-throwing Mason Miller with two outs in the ninth inning as the Brewers rallied past the San Diego Padres for the second straight day, a 4-3
victory Sunday for a 2-0 NL Division Series lead.
“I think it's probably in the top three of the special moments I've had in my career,” Chourio said through interpreter Daniel de Mondesert.
The fact Chourio didn't automatically rank it atop the list speaks volumes about all the memorable moments the 22-year-old already has produced in his first three seasons. Chourio said his drive to deliver in these moments intensified after he struck out against Andrés Muñoz, ending a loss to Seattle early in his rookie year.
“At that point, everything turned for me,” Chourio said. “I told myself I was never going to make the last out. I’d dedicate myself to fighting and doing whatever I could for the team and not having that feeling again from that specific game.”
San Diego, which entered the postseason with 20 wins in its last 23 games, headed home for Game 3 of the best-of-five series on Tuesday following its first back-to-back losses since Sept. 1-2.
Milwaukee rallied from 2-0 deficits on consecutive days by beating the Padres' bullpen. William Contreras hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning against Adrian Morejon on Saturday.
“It’s a big challenge,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “They’re a great team. You saw how hard they battle us here in Milwaukee. But we like where we are when we play at home."
Michael King retired his first 14 batters as the Padres went ahead 2-0, and they led 3-2 when Miller entered trying for his first six-out save since 2024.
The two-time All-Star closer retired the side in order in the eighth. After a leadoff groundout in the ninth, Miller issued his first career postseason walks to Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick.
Andrew Vaughn flied out and pinch hitter Gary Sánchez walked, taking six straight pitches.
That brought Chourio to the plate, one day after he sparked a 4-3 comeback victory with a tying, two-run homer in the third inning.
“Watching those at-bats beforehand, I knew that he was a little bit erratic,” Chourio said. “He was throwing some balls. I knew that he was going to come at me with the fastball at some point, so mentally I was just making sure that I was prepared for that.”
Chourio connected on a 2-2 pitch, lining a 101.3 mph fastball up the middle and past second baseman Jake Cronenworth’s attempt for a diving backhand stop. Cronenworth believed he was inches away from making the play.
“He smashed it, but I thought I got a good jump on it,” Cronenworth said.
The ball bounced into center field as Yelich ran across the plate. Frelick slid in head first, easily beating center fielder Jackson Merrill’s throw.
Miller threw a season-high 40 pitches — his most since 2023 — but said after the game that didn't impact him. He topped 100 mph with 18 pitches, the fastest a 103.5 mph offering that Chourio fouled.
"I didn’t do my job today, so instead of being here with a win and a series tie, we’re in a hole," Miller said.
At 22 years, 207 days, Chourio became the second-youngest player with a postseason walk-off hit. Edgar Renteria was 22 years old but younger than Chourio is today when he had two walk-off hits during the Florida Marlins' run to the 1997 World Series title.
Chourio has hit .327 with a franchise-record five homers to go along with 15 RBIs in 14 career postseason games.
“He loves those moments,” Yelich said. “And he knows how talented he is and what he can do on a baseball field. He can do anything.”
Chourio also made a key defensive play in the opener when Ty France hit a potential go-ahead homer in the ninth inning only for the ball to strike a cable on the roof of American Family Field and land in the left fielder's glove at the warning track.
With the roof open Sunday, France hit an RBI single in the first and another a run-scoring single for a 3-1 lead in the seventh after third baseman David Hamilton bobbled Fernando Tatis Jr.'s grounder for an error.
Frelick had an RBI single in the fifth after Christian Yelich doubled.
Milwaukee closed to 3-2 in the seventh when Garrett Mitchell scored from third as Cronenworth bobbled Hamilton's grounder and then threw past first for a double error.
“We could very easily be going home up 2-0,” France said. “But the reality is we're not. We have to go and we have to win. No ifs, ands or buts, we have to play our best baseball now.”
___
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
