When is Brewers vs. Padres NLDS Series Game 4? Date, Time and Lineups

SAN DIEGO — The last time the Brewers won a postseason road game, they beat Walker Buehler and the Dodgers in Game 2 of the 2018 NLCS. It’s been nothing but frustration for Milwaukee since then — 12 playoff losses and counting away from home going into Game 4 of what has been a scintillating NLDS.

And guess who will be on the mound for the Padres on Wednesday night?

The Padres tabbed the nine-year veteran to start after going all hands on deck to get to this game in the first place, using Game 2 starter Michael King as the Game 3 closer for the final two innings on Tuesday just two days after he pitched into the sixth inning on Sunday. 

“The resilience we showed today, the stick-to-itiveness, the keep-bouncing-back, all the adjectives you can use for that,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said, “this team showed it all year.”

The Brewers revealed their counter to Buehler on Wednesday, and it’s Robert Gasser, the 27-year-old left-hander acquired from the Padres in the Josh Hader deal at the 2022 Trade Deadline. The Brewers are not in true “must win” territory just yet, but after tying the Senators/Twins franchise for the longest streak of road losses in the postseason, the Brewers would sure like to avoid being the first franchise ever to lose 13 playoff games in a row away from home. 

In all best-of-five postseason series, teams that lose the first two games before winning Game 3 to avoid elimination have gone on to win again and force a Game 5 in 18 of 39 instances (46%). In 10 of those instances, they have come all the way back to win the series.

For the Brewers, there’s serious urgency to avoid either scenario. If they lose Game 4, they would have their ace, Jacob Misiorowski, ready to start Game 5 at home. But then he wouldn’t be available until the middle games of the NLCS, should Milwaukee advance. 

When is the game and how can I watch it?

Game 4 of the Padres-Brewers NLDS airs nationally at 7 p.m. PT/9 p.m. CT on FS1, FOX Deportes and FOX One. 

All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB’s exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.

Who are the starting pitchers?
Brewers: LHP Robert Gasser
Manager Pat Murphy mentioned a few of his multi-inning options after Tuesday’s game: left-handers Gasser and Shane Drohan and right-hander Chad Patrick. They all started games during the regular season. So did left-hander Kyle Harrison before he lost his hold on a rotation spot down the stretch. Of those pitchers, Gasser is the true starter. He posted a 1.67 ERA over his final six outings down the stretch, beginning with 5 1/3 innings of emergency relief in New York on Aug. 26 when Dustin May was hit by a comebacker on the very first pitch of a game against the Mets. The Brewers used openers three times in last year’s postseason, so that was another option ahead of Gasser, since three of the first four hitters in the Padres’ usual lineup bat right-handed. Patrick would have been a natural fit for that role. But instead, the Brewers will trust Gasser in a potential clincher from the start.

Padres: Walker Buehler
Key stats: 3.04 ERA in 19 career postseason outings; 3.62 ERA in 13 second-half starts*

The last time Buehler (9-6, 4.63 ERA) appeared in the postseason, he was closing out the World Series for the Dodgers in 2024. Suffice it to say, he’s been here before. Buehler has made 18 career playoff starts, and the Padres are entrusting him with another on Wednesday, two days after he was activated from the paternity list. The Padres went 10-3 in Buehler’s second half starts as he established himself as one of the most consistent arms in their starting rotation. He’s not quite the fireballer he was earlier in his career, using a bit more guile to get by. But he certainly won’t shy away from the stage.

What are the starting lineups?
Brewers: Make it four games, four different lineups for Murphy, who will keep Brice Turang in the cleanup spot for Game 4 after dropping him there for Game 3 so the Padres would be less likely to pitch around Jackson Chourio. Turang fell to 0-for-10 in the series and 2-for-40 over his last 11 postseason games before singling in the seventh inning. Christian Yelich gets bumped up to No. 2 after knocking a pair of hits on Tuesday.

Padres: Austin Hays draws the start at DH, batting fifth, despite having gone hitless in seven at-bats so far this postseason. Hays’ inclusion pushes Samad Taylor to left field and the lefty-hitting Dustin Harris to the bench against the lefty Gasser. Harris is an obvious pinch-hit candidate for either Hays or Taylor against a righty, as is Gavin Sheets.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Brewers: Here’s something to think about: Would the Brewers use Misiorowski for an inning in Game 4 in lieu of a between-starts bullpen session? It’s possible, Murphy said at the start of this series. The Marlins employed a similar approach with their ace, Sandy Alcantara, down the stretch. It all depends on how the game unfolds ahead of the late innings, when the Brewers will have a rested Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill after neither pitched in Game 3.

Padres: The Padres officially activated closer Mason Miller from the paternity list ahead of Game 4, giving him lefty Wandy Peralta’s spot on the NLDS roster. Less clear was the status of Adrian Morejon, who was still being evaluated after dealing with a bout of shoulder fatigue. King covered for both on Tuesday, pitching the final two innings to help San Diego force a Game 4. Even with Miller back, the bullpen is a bit of a mess, with Bradgley Rodriguez, Yuki Matsui and Jason Adam all having worked Tuesday night as well. Does that mean high leverage for Joe Musgrove? “He’s going to have to be one of those guys,” Stammen said.

Any injuries of note?
Brewers: None

Padres: Sheets had been limited to DH and pinch-hitting duties after battling a foot issue for most of the second half. He was then scratched from the lineup in Game 3 due to a stiff neck, though the Padres said he was available off the bench. His status for Game 4 is entirely unclear. Same goes for Morejon.

Who is hot and who is not?
Brewers: Contreras is 4-for-11 in the series after collecting three hits including his second home run of the NLDS in Game 3, and Yelich is 4-for-10 with a double and his first RBI since Game 7 of the 2018 NLCS. … Left-handed hitters Turang, Bauers and Garrett are a combined 5-for-33 with 15 strikeouts in the series.

Padres: Machado has been on a tear to begin the postseason, hitting .375 with a 1.212 OPS. France and Bogaerts are scorching hot as well. Meanwhile, after notching two hits in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Cubs, Tatis has fallen into a funk. He’s just 1-for-18 since.