The San Diego Padres carry an unchanged 26-player roster into their National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, relying on the same group that swept the Chicago Cubs. Game 1 gets underway at American Family Field with Robbie Ray on the mound for San Diego against Jacob Misiorowski.
The Padres made no changes to their personnel following a two-game sweep of the Cubs in the Wild Card Series, carrying the identical 26 players consisting of 11 pitchers and 15 position players. The top-seeded Brewers host the opener after claiming a franchise-record 103 wins and locking down the NL Central title for a fourth year.
Game 1 of the Padres-Brewers NLDS is underway on FS1, Fox Deportes and FOX ONE. Jase Bowen and Freddy Fermin were defensive replacements during the previous round for San Diego, which carried 13 pitchers in the NLDS in 2024.
Robbie Ray and Jacob Misiorowski Take the Ball for Game 1
San Diego hands the ball to left-hander Robbie Ray for the opening matchup. Ray brings a 2.82 career ERA against Milwaukee, holding opposing hitters to a .193 batting average across his career meetings with the club. He arrived in San Diego at the Trade Deadline and finished the regular season with a 13-8 record and a 3.59 ERA.
On the other side, the Brewers counter with right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who enjoyed a historic breakout season. Misiorowski led all Major League pitchers with a 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts, a 0.80 WHIP, and a .157 opponents’ batting average. That batting mark bested Pedro Martinez’s 2000 record of .167 for the lowest single-season opponents’ average on record for a starter. Misiorowski spent part of last year in the bullpen before finding his stride in October relief outings, launching himself into a dominant rotation role.
Lineup Choices and Bullpen Depth for the Opener
San Diego balanced its catching duties for the opener by starting Luis Campusano as the designated hitter while Ethan Salas handles catching responsibilities behind the plate. The Padres also kept Gavin Sheets on the bench for a third straight game to preserve his potent left-handed bat for a late pinch-hit opportunity against Milwaukee’s right-handed pitching staff. Left-handed hitters managed just a .114 batting average against Misiorowski during the regular season.
Milwaukee relies on a disciplined offensive approach that led the majors in batting average at .258 and on-base percentage at .341, alongside 152 stolen bases and the lowest chase and swing percentages in baseball. To counter that patient attack, the Padres built a bullpen anchored by Mason Miller at the back end, set up by Adrian Morejon. Right-handers Bradgley Rodriguez and Jason Adam and lefty Yuki Matsui stand ready for high-pressure spots, while Randy Vásquez provides long relief in place of Walker Buehler, who is currently on the paternity list. The Brewers match that relief depth with closer Trevor Megill, who notched 30 saves for the second year alongside a 0.89 WHIP.
“I just think we need to chill the [heck] out a little bit,”
Jake Bauers, Brewers hitter
Padres Swept Brewers in August Series
The Padres certainly didn’t see the best of MLB’s top regular-season team in 2026. When these teams met in San Diego during August, the Brewers squandered a seventh-inning lead in the opener, got blown out in Game 2 and then lost leads in the eighth inning and again in the 11th in the finale to complete a Padres sweep of the Brewers, holding Milwaukee hitters to 3-for-28 with runners in scoring position. Brewers hitter Jake Bauers recalled the team’s mid-summer recalibration after that sweep, which preceded a strong September push.
The Brewers responded by winning three of four games at Dodger Stadium and finishing September with an 18-6 record. Game 1 broadcasts live on FS1, Fox Deportes, and FOX ONE, with streaming available through MLB.TV for authenticated pay-TV subscribers in the United States.
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