SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers still can't win on the road in October.
The Brewers ran their postseason losing streak away from home to 12 games dating to 2018 when they couldn't close out the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night, losing 4-3 in Game 3 of their National League Division Series.
After compiling the best record in the majors this season at 103-59, the NL Central champion Brewers still lead the best-of-five matchup 2-1 and get another
chance to clinch it Wednesday night. But they had plenty of opportunities to end the series without having to play another game at hot, packed and loud Petco Park.
The 12 straight postseason road losses ties the big league record set by the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins franchise from 1925-87. The Brewers dropped to 6-24 on the road overall in their postseason history, the worst such record in the majors.
Then again, the Brewers have lost to some pretty good teams during the streak.
“It’s tough to win on the road in playoff situations, obviously,” manager Pat Murphy said. “We’ve done a pretty good job at home, I’d say, but you’re right. It’s never fun. We lost to the Nationals, right? You’re going back to the Nationals. They won the World Series."
That was in 2019.
And then there were the Los Angeles Dodgers during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
“Dodgers did pretty good that year, too. They won the World Series, right?" Murphy said. "They went to the World Series, right? Who else did we lose to, the Braves? They won it. Those are some pretty good teams. I wouldn’t beat up the old Brewers if you don’t mind. I know you’re looking to. That’s fun.”
Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich doesn't think it's unfathomable the losing streak has reached a dozen.
"Not really. I mean, this team has one person playing from 2018, so that’s really no effect on this group.”
Yelich did get his first playoff RBI since 2018 with a seventh-inning single.
“I'm just focused about trying to help the team win," he said.
With runners on first and second and one out in the ninth inning, Yelich hit a ball 107 mph off Michael King, the Padres' Game 2 starter, but Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts turned it into a game-ending double play.
King pitched the final two innings on one day of rest.
“I’m proud of our guys for battling. King made some great pitches," Yelich said. "They got some outs in some big spots, and we put together great at-bats there in the eighth, ninth innings, and just gave ourselves a ton of chances. And we just didn’t get that one big hit. Would have changed some things. You’ve got to flush it and come back ready to go tomorrow.”
The Brewers outhit the Padres 11-6 but stranded 11 runners.
The sellout crowd of 47,708 was the third-largest in Petco Park history.
“It's like 40 of us vs. 50,000, but it's fun, man,” second baseman Brice Turang said. “It's fun to play like this and this is what we play for. We play for times like this. We've just got to go out there and trust each other and trust ourselves and keep playing winning baseball and things will work out.”
Turang said the Brewers had some good at-bats.
“If you watch the games, just the quality of at-bats,” he said. "I keep saying it, but it’s true. I think these guys have had something to work off of and something to keep pushing forward. The competitiveness that this clubhouse has is great. You just take the positives after tonight and you go try to win tomorrow.”
___
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
