The Milwaukee Brewers, who finished the regular season with 103 wins, took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five NLDS against the Padres before San Diego rallied for a 4-3 Game 3 victory at Petco Park on October 7 behind Jake Cronenworth’s tiebreaking homer and Michael King’s relief work. Milwaukee then closed out the series 3-1 the next night, snapping a long postseason road losing streak with timely hitting from Garrett Mitchell and Jackson Chourio plus strong defensive plays. The 91-win Padres, who had swept the Cubs in the Wild Card round, struggled offensively across the series and lost key bullpen availability when closer Mason Miller was placed on the paternity list. These tight, low-scoring contests and the Brewers’ ability to win on the road shaped trader views on series spread outcomes.