Our San Diego Padres vs Milwaukee Brewers preview covers the odds, run line, total, probable pitchers, first pitch time, TV channel and where to watch for Game 1 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The No. 4-seeded San Diego Padres (91-71) and the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Brewers (103-59) open the best-of-five series at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wis. First pitch is 8:30 PM ET (7:30 PM CT). TV: FS1 / FOX One.
Division Series storyline: San Diego swept Chicago at Petco Park in the Wild Card Series, allowing one run in two games. Milwaukee went 103-59, the best record in the majors, to win the NL Central and earn the NL’s No. 1 seed. San Diego won the season series 4-2. The probable pitchers are Robbie Ray for the Padres and Jacob Misiorowski for the Brewers. DraftKings lists the Brewers at -204 on the moneyline and the Padres at +167, with the total at 7.
San Diego Padres vs Milwaukee Brewers Odds, Run Line & Game Info
| Matchup | San Diego Padres @ Milwaukee Brewers |
|---|---|
| Series | National League Division Series (NLDS), Game 1 — best-of-five, 2-2-1 format |
| Series Score | Series begins (0-0). Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 4, 4 PM ET at American Family Field; Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 6, 9:30 PM ET at Petco Park; Game 4 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 7, 10 PM ET at Petco Park; Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 9, 4:30 PM ET at American Family Field |
| Seeds | San Diego Padres No. 4 | Milwaukee Brewers No. 1 (NL) |
| 2026 Records | San Diego Padres 91-71 (40-41 on the road) | Milwaukee Brewers 103-59 (55-26 at home) |
| How They Got Here | Padres: Swept the No. 5 Chicago Cubs 2-0 in the NL Wild Card Series (8-0, 4-1) | Brewers: First-round bye as NL Central champion and No. 1 seed |
| Run Line | Padres +1.5 (-133) | Brewers -1.5 (+110) |
| Moneyline | San Diego Padres: +167 | Milwaukee Brewers: -204 |
| Total | O/U 7 (Over -109 / Under -111) |
| Probable Pitchers | Padres: Robbie Ray (LHP, 13-8, 3.59 ERA, 31 G/30 GS, 165.2 IP, 140 K, 84 BB, 1.35 WHIP; SF 10-6, 3.08 in 22 G/21 GS; SD 3-2, 5.02 in 9 GS) | Brewers: Jacob Misiorowski (RHP, 16-5, 1.80 ERA, 30 GS, 174.2 IP, 252 K, 44 BB, 0.80 WHIP) |
| Managers | San Diego Padres: Craig Stammen | Milwaukee Brewers: Pat Murphy |
| Venue | American Family Field (Milwaukee, Wis.) |
| Date / Time | Saturday, October 3, 2026 — 8:30 PM ET (7:30 PM CT) |
| TV / How to Watch | FS1 / FOX One |
| 2026 Season Series | Padres won the 2026 season series 4-2 |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, 7:33 PM PT. Opening line: Padres +184 / Brewers -227, total 7. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before first pitch.
Padres vs Brewers NLDS Series Context
Format: The NLDS is a best-of-five series in a 2-2-1 format. Games 1 and 2 are at American Family Field, Games 3 and 4 move to Petco Park in San Diego, and a deciding Game 5 would return to Milwaukee. Remaining schedule (times ET): Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 4, 4 PM ET at American Family Field; Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 6, 9:30 PM ET at Petco Park; Game 4 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 7, 10 PM ET at Petco Park; Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 9, 4:30 PM ET at American Family Field (MLB Stats API).
How the Padres got here: San Diego won Game 1 of the Wild Card Series 8-0 as Michael King threw seven innings of one-hit ball with eight strikeouts, and Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts homered. In Game 2, the Padres won 4-1: Gavin Sheets hit a two-run homer, four relievers followed Nick Pivetta (3 1/3 IP, 1 R), and Mason Miller got the save (MLB Stats API box scores).
How the Brewers got here: Milwaukee finished 103-59 with an MLB-best record, won the NL Central and earned the No. 1 seed and a bye. The Brewers won their last five regular-season games and went 8-2 in their last 10 (MLB Stats API).
Head-to-head: San Diego went 4-2 against Milwaukee in 2026, including a three-game sweep at Petco Park on Aug. 10-12. Milwaukee won 7-1 at American Family Field on May 14 (MLB Stats API). Stammen said every regular-season game between the teams “was really close” (Times of San Diego).
San Diego Padres Preview: NLDS Game 1
Season in review: Under manager Craig Stammen, the Padres went 91-71, finished second in the NL West (9 games back) and earned the NL’s No. 4 seed. They were 51-30 at home and 40-41 on the road, and went 8-2 in their last 10 (MLB Stats API). San Diego scored 722 runs and allowed 681, hit .244 with a .717 OPS, stole 164 bases and posted a 3.99 team ERA with 48 saves.
Key players: Manny Machado led the club with 30 homers and 91 RBIs. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit .289 with an .828 OPS, 25 homers and 38 steals, and Jackson Merrill added 26 homers. Michael King led the rotation with a 3.21 ERA, and closer Mason Miller had 38 saves with a 1.67 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 70 innings (MLB Stats API, MLB.com).
Injuries: ESPN lists DH Miguel Andujar (wrist, 10-day IL), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (shoulder, 15-day IL), RHP Casey Mize (ankle, 15-day IL), RHP Lucas Giolito (elbow, 60-day IL) and C Rodolfo Durán (forearm, 60-day IL).
Milwaukee Brewers Preview: NLDS Game 1
Season in review: Manager Pat Murphy‘s Brewers went 103-59, including 55-26 at home and 48-33 on the road. Milwaukee scored 832 runs and allowed 618, hit .258 with a .744 OPS and a .341 on-base percentage, stole 162 bases and posted a 3.51 team ERA with 1,544 strikeouts and 55 saves (MLB Stats API).
Key players: Jake Bauers led the club with 26 homers and an .873 OPS. Jackson Chourio hit .291 with 25 homers and 23 steals, Brice Turang drove in 100 runs, and William Contreras drove in 94. Trevor Megill had 30 saves (MLB Stats API team leaders). “They’re playing so well and they’re super talented,” Murphy said of the Padres on Friday, citing San Diego’s bullpen (CBS Sports).
Injuries: Murphy said 3B Joey Ortiz (knee and abdomen), listed as day-to-day by ESPN, is expected to be available Saturday (CBS Sports). ESPN also lists 1B Andrew Vaughn (illness, 10-day IL), RHP Grant Anderson (biceps, 15-day IL) and RHPs Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester (shoulder, 60-day IL).
Starting Pitchers: Robbie Ray vs Jacob Misiorowski
Padres: Robbie Ray (LHP). San Diego acquired Ray from San Francisco at the trade deadline. He went 13-8 with a 3.59 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts) between the two clubs, with 140 strikeouts, 84 walks and a 1.35 WHIP in 165 2/3 innings: 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA for the Giants and 3-2 with a 5.02 ERA in nine starts for the Padres (MLB Stats API). Stammen chose Ray over Walker Buehler, citing “his veteran presence, experience pitching in the playoffs,” and said, “If he’s throwing strikes I feel good about Robbie being in there” (CBS Sports, Times of San Diego). MLB.com lists his postseason record at 0-3 with a 7.43 ERA in six games (two starts); this is his first postseason start since 2022. He faced Milwaukee once this season, allowing two earned runs in four innings on Aug. 12 (MLB Stats API).
Brewers: Jacob Misiorowski (RHP). The 24-year-old went 16-5 with a 1.80 ERA in 30 starts, with 252 strikeouts, 44 walks and a 0.80 WHIP in 174 2/3 innings. MLB.com reported that his ERA and strikeout total were both MLB bests and that his .157 opponents’ average was the lowest on record for a starter. He threw seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts against San Diego on May 13, and he pitches Saturday on five days’ rest after 5 1/3 scoreless innings against St. Louis in the regular-season finale (MLB Stats API, MLB.com).
Key Matchup Notes: Padres vs Brewers Game 1
- Velocity: MLB.com reported that Misiorowski and Padres closer Mason Miller threw the most 100-plus mph pitches in baseball this season.
- Ray’s control: Ray walked 84 batters this season, including 27 in 43 innings with San Diego (MLB Stats API). Stammen acknowledged Ray “can be erratic at times” (Times of San Diego).
- Padres pitching in the Wild Card round: San Diego allowed one run over 18 innings against the Cubs. King threw seven one-hit innings in Game 1, and five pitchers combined in Game 2 (MLB Stats API box scores).
- Brewers offense: Milwaukee scored 832 runs with a .341 on-base percentage and stole 162 bases. San Diego also stole 164 (MLB Stats API).
- Rest: The Padres completed their sweep Wednesday night. The Brewers have not played since the regular season ended Sept. 27 (MLB Stats API).
How to Watch San Diego Padres vs Milwaukee Brewers – NLDS Game 1
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
First pitch: 8:30 PM ET (7:30 PM CT)
Venue: American Family Field, Milwaukee, Wis.
TV / Streaming: FS1 and FOX One, with Spanish-language coverage on FOX Deportes (MLB Stats API, ESPN, MLB.com).
The series winner advances to the NLCS against the winner of the Braves-Dodgers NLDS. Game 2 is Sunday, Oct. 4 at American Family Field. Check the run line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 3, 2026 first pitch, and look for official lineups closer to game time.