Padres, Brewers Announce Starting Lineups for NLDS Game 1

The NLDS kicks off on Saturday night.

Sep 30, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (8) and outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) high five after defeating the Chicago Cubs during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers kick off their National League Division Series matchup on Saturday night at American Family Field.

The Padres are coming off a two-game sweep over the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card round. The Brewers had a five-day break after finishing with MLB's best record and earning a first-round bye.

The Padres are one of the few teams to have a winning record against the Brewers this season, going 4-2 against them including a three-game sweep at Petco Park in August.

However, that was the regular season, and both teams are now set for a best-of-five series in which the Brewers have home-field advantage.

"How often do you get to be personally put in situations like this where you're on the road and the underdog and the crowd's going crazy and it's everybody against you?" manager Craig Stammen said of the Brewers' home-field advantage.

"You try to take that mentality, use it to your advantage and then play the game the way you've always played, and then can't wait to get back home and experience it for ourselves with our fans on our side."

Padres vs Brewers Pitching Matchup on Saturday

Left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray is taking the mound for the Padres in Game 1.

He was acquired from the San Francisco Giants ahead of the trade deadline.

Ray made nine starts in a Padres uniform, accruing a 5.02 ERA with 33 strikeouts to 27 walks over 43 innings of work.

He faced the Brewers on Aug. 12, allowing two runs over four innings.

"Just trust his veteran presence, experience pitching the playoffs," Stammen said of his decision to start Ray. "I think he's going to do well against this lineup. As far as how far he goes or how long, he'll determine a lot of that, how well he pitches. And we know with Robbie, he can be erratic at times. If he's throwing strikes I feel good about Robbie being in there."

Opposite Ray will be right-handed pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, who was baseball's most dominant pitcher in 2026. He led the league with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts across 174.2 innings of work, and is the heavy favorite to win the NL Cy Young award.

Misiorowski faced the Padres on May 13, firing seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and just four hits allowed.

Padres Starting Lineup

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Dustin Harris, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Ethan Salas, C
8. Luis Campusano, DH
9. Jake Cronenworth, 2B

Brewers Lineup vs Padres

1. Jackson Chourio, LF
2. Brice Turang, 2B
3. William Contreras, C
4. Jake Bauers, 1B
5. Christian Yelich, DH
6. Cooper Pratt, SS
7. Luis Lara, RF
8. Garrett Mitchell, CF
9. Joey Ortiz, 3B

How to Watch Padres vs Brewers NLDS Game 1 on Saturday

First pitch for San Diego Padres vs. Milwaukee Brewers NLDS Game 1 on Saturday, Oct. 3 is 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET.

The game will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1.

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