Jackson Chourio hit a walk-off single against Mason Miller on Sunday, giving the Brewers a 2-0 series lead.
Within a matter of 30 minutes, the Brewers went from staring at a 1-1 series going back to San Diego to a 2-0 lead. Miller has blown three saves all year and has been the best reliever in baseball by far. He led the National League with 38 saves and posted a 1.67 ERA in the regular season.
According to OptaSTATS, Chourio's walk-off single against Miller is the second-ever walk-off hit by a trailing team in the postseason against a pitcher who led his league in. The only other instance was Kirk Gibson in 1988, when he hit his iconic walk-off home run off Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the World Series.
Chourio's walk-off does not carry the same weight as Gibson's, but it does put into perspective how hard it is to come from behind against an elite closer. Chourio's walk-off single, and really the entire ninth inning by the Brewers offense, is by far the best moment of this year's postseason so far, and has completely changed the outlook of the series.
The San Diego Padres would likely have been feeling great if they were going back to Petco Park with the series tied, stealing a game in Milwaukee, and having already faced the Brewers' top two starters. However, they will now have to win three straight games against the Brewers, who will have Jacob Misiorowski lined up one more time, should they need him.
