NLDS Game 1: Early explosion sparks Brewers to 9-3 win
After posting the best regular-season record not only in club history but in MLB this season, the Milwaukee Brewers began their quest for an elusive World Series championship by bludgeoning the rival Chicago Cubs early en route to a 9-3 triumph Saturday in Game 1 of the NL Division Series before a raucous crowd at American Family Field. After a day off Sunday, the Brewers will go for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series Monday at 9:08 p.m. ET on TBS.
Blake Perkins wins an ELEVEN-pitch at-bat! The @Brewers have put up 4 runs in the first!
— MLB (Bot) (@mlbbot.bsky.social) October 4, 2025 at 11:34 AM
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FIRST BASE: A perfect Game 1 for Crew
There was no double that the Brewers, as the team with the best record in MLB this season and not having advanced to the next round in their last five postseason appearances, faced pressure going into Game 1 vs. the Cubs. And already trailing 1-0, that pressure only increased. But as this team has done, it was unfazed and answered the call when it needed to. It was a perfect combination of showing the offense wasn't rusty and the pitching was on point. Manager Pat Murphy was able to get some players into the game to give them that experience this season in a pressure-free situation. Now the question becomes: Can they step on the Cubs' throat and take a 2-0 lead Monday?
SECOND BASE: Peralta being Peralta
You don't see Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta get rattled too often. But there he was, giving up a leadoff homer to Michael Busch to begin the game. But Peralta retired the next three batters and off he went. While the early offensive explosion certainly kept the pressure off Peralta, he did what he always does. Allowed very few hits and racked up the strikeouts. Peralta gave up four hits – including two solo homers – in 5⅔ innings, walking three and striking out nine. The strikeouts tied a Brewers postseason record and were one off the season high for Peralta, who led MLB with 17 wins. Peralta was second in MLB with an opponent batting average of .193. Left-handers Aaron Ashby and Jared Koenig and right-hander Nick Mears finished it off, with Koenig also giving up a solo homer.
THIRD BASE: Chourio injures hamstring again
In a very troubling development in an otherwise very enthusiastic start to the game, Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio was removed from the game after legging out an infield single – his third hit of the game – in the bottom of the second inning. The Brewers said it was a strained right hamstring. It is the same hamstring Chourio injured and missed all of August. Isaac Collins replaced Chourio, who will undergo more testing. His status for Game 2 is unknown. Murphy had no update on Chourio's condition other than to say the outfielder was having an MRI, but the injury could be "devastating." Chourio said, "I feel good," but he also seemed unconcerned immediately after his previous hamstring injury.
HOME PLATE: Record start = 9 runs
No one, not even the most optimistic Brewers fan, could have expected this. After Peralta surrendered a leadoff homer to begin the game, the Brewers' bats took control in the bottom of the first with six runs. As if that wasn't enough, the Crew added three more in the second inning. Chourio had two first-inning hits, including a leadoff double, and three hits in the first two innings before exiting. The biggest blow of the first inning was delivered by Blake Perkins. In battling Cubs starter Matthew Boyd – who started Tuesday's Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series – for 11 pitches, Perkins singled up the middle on a changeup to put the Brewers up 4-1. That would be the last pitch Boyd threw, only getting two outs while giving up all six first-inning runs, only two earned thanks to Gold Glove candidate Nico Hoerner misplaying Sal Frelick's RBI grounder. Busch's outing was the shortest start in Cubs postseason history. Every Brewers hitter had reached base with one out in the second inning. Chourio became the first Brewers player to have two hits in a single postseason inning.
Let's sum up the first 2 innings in Milwaukee. Brewers: 20 hitters came to bat 14 of them reached base 9 runs 3 hits by Jackson Chourio in 2 innings Cubs: 2 guys in their lineup haven't even gotten an AB yet! It's the most Brewers game ever
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst.bsky.social) October 4, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Unreal #MagicBrew
— Milwaukee Brewers (Bot) (@brewersbot.bsky.social) October 4, 2025 at 12:34 PM
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EXTRA BASES: Priester in Game 2?
⚾ Neither the Brewers nor the Cubs announced a starter for Game 2 prior to the series beginning, but it would certainly look like right-hander Quinn Priester would go for the Brewers with left-hander Shota Imanaga on tap for the Cubs. Imanaga pitched Game 2 for the Cubs in the Wild Card Series vs. the San Diego Padres in a bulk role following the use of an opener. Unlike Boyd in Game 1, Imanaga would benefit from an extra day off. The Cubs' shortcoming is healthy starting pitching after rookie Cade Horton went down late in the regular season.
