Padres Stars Send Clear Message Ahead of Win-Or-Go-Home Game 3 vs Brewers

The Padres are looking to extend their season on Tuesday.

Sep 8, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) is congratulated by first baseman Ty France (25) after scoring during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres are heading back to Petco Park for Game 3 of the National League Division against the Milwaukee Brewers. 

The Padres had a golden opportunity to steal not just one but two games in Milwaukee. Instead, they head back to Southern California down 0-2 with a do-or-die Game 3 on Tuesday. 

It's the ultimate must-win for the Padres as they look to keep their season alive and prevent the Brewers from making their second straight trip to the NL Championship Series. 

While the Padres are down to their last straw, they are as confident as ever heading into Game 3.

“I feel like that’s kind of the mentality we’ve been playing with all season,” Padres first baseman Ty France said. “Not a lot of people expected us to be in this position. So for us to even be here, we’ve proved a lot of people wrong. But I feel like there’s still some more in the tank.”

Milwaukee needed two back-to-back comeback victories to take a 2-0 series lead over San Diego.

The Padres entered the postseason with 20 wins in 23 games and now will play in front of their home crowd after their first back-to-back losses since Sept. 1-2.

The odds are not in the Padres' favor, down 0-2. Only 10 teams in MLB history have rallied from a 0-2 deficit to win a best-of-five postseason series. 

The Padres are looking to become the 11th team to do so in the Division Series. 

“Not many teams have done it,” superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. said. “So there’s a reason why it’s so tough. … Obviously, we want it different. It’s a tough situation right here. But we’re going to battle out there and find a way to make it happen.”

The last team to come back down 0-2 in the Division Series was the New York Yankees in 2017. New York defeated Cleveland in that best-of-five series. 

“It’s a big challenge,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “They’re a great team. You saw how hard they battle us here in Milwaukee. But we like where we are when we play at home."

San Diego finished the 2026 season with a stellar 51-30 record in front of their home fans. They went 2-0 in the wild-card round.

They now must win three consecutive games — two of them at home — to advance to the NLCS. 

The odds may not be in the Padres' favor, but that's nothing they're unfamiliar with.

"Here we are once again with our backs against the wall," third baseman Manny Machado said. "We've overcome it once, and we can do it again, and we're going to do it again. Just a matter of going out there and doing our job and focusing on what we can control and go out there and play some good baseball again."

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