Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell stole the spotlight with his glove in Wednesday night's 3-1 win over the San Diego Padres in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. With Milwaukee leading by two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Mitchell took away what appeared to be a game-tying home run from slugger Manny Machado at Petco Park.
The catch proved to be a historic one. Mitchell became the only MLB player in the wild-card era, dating back to 1995, to rob a potential game-tying or go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later of a postseason game, according to OptaSTATS.
Machado came to the plate with Fernando Tatis Jr. on first base and San Diego down 3-1. Brewers reliever Abner Uribe pitched a sinker low in the zone, and Machado drove the second pitch 406 feet to right-center field. The ball appeared destined for the seats, leading Machado to stop and watch from home plate as the crowd erupted.
Mitchell, however, was positioned in right-center because of Milwaukee's scouting report. He tracked the ball to the wall and knew the fence was relatively short in that area. He reached back and made a two-handed grab over the wall, preventing the ball from becoming a two-run homer and preserving the Brewers' two-run advantage.
The play effectively turned out to be San Diego's final major opportunity. The Padres failed to score in the ninth, with Trevor Megill recording the save, and Milwaukee closed out the best-of-five series in four games.
Mitchell also was crucial offensively. He went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI, finishing the series 4-for-15. He opened the fifth inning with a liner into the right-field corner and later scored on Jackson Chourio's single, putting the Brewers ahead.
Article Continues BelowChourio added to Milwaukee's playoff history by driving in Mitchell and moving past Ryan Braun for the franchise record in postseason RBIs. The 22-year-old finished with 17 postseason RBIs in 16 playoff games, including six during the series.
The Brewers victory also ended their 12-game playoff road losing streak dating to 2018. Four Milwaukee pitchers combined to allow only three hits, while the team collected 10 hits offensively.
The Brewers, who won 103 games during the regular season, have advanced to the NL Championship Series for the second consecutive season. They will face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who eliminated the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Milwaukee will host Game 1 on Sunday, with the Brewers holding home-field advantage in the series.

