In a dramatic Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series, the Milwaukee Brewers rallied past the New York Mets, securing a 5-3 victory that evened the series and set the stage for a decisive Game 3. Rookie sensation Jackson Chourio was the star of the night, hitting two home runs, including a game-tying shot in the eighth inning, while Garrett Mitchell delivered the go-ahead blow with a two-run homer to send the American Family Field crowd into a frenzy.
The Brewers, trailing 3-2 entering the eighth inning, got the spark they needed from Chourio, who led off with his second home run of the night—a deep drive to right-center off Mets pitcher Phil Maton, who was making his fourth appearance in five days. The 20-year-old phenom, who had already made history by becoming the youngest player to hit a leadoff homer in the postseason with his first-inning blast, tied the game and set the stage for Mitchell’s heroics.
After Blake Perkins singled and William Contreras grounded into a double play, the Brewers’ hopes appeared to be dimming. But Willy Adames kept the inning alive with a single, bringing Mitchell to the plate. The Brewers’ outfielder wasted no time, launching a first-pitch curveball from Maton over the right-center wall for a 390-foot home run that gave Milwaukee a 5-3 lead.
Devin Williams, the Brewers’ reliable closer, shut the door in the ninth, retiring the side in order to earn the save and force a winner-takes-all Game 3. Joe Ross picked up the win after delivering 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, helping to keep the Brewers’ season alive.
Chourio’s historic night places him among elite company, as he became the second-youngest player to homer twice in a postseason game, behind only Andruw Jones, who achieved the feat at 19 years old during the 1996 World Series.
The Mets had built their early lead thanks to another Brewers defensive miscue around first base. With the score tied 1-1 in the second inning, Starling Marte hit a routine grounder to first baseman Rhys Hoskins, whose throw bounced off pitcher Frankie Montas’ glove as he attempted to cover the bag. Montas then allowed consecutive singles to Tyrone Taylor and Francisco Alvarez, with Alvarez’s hit driving in Marte. Francisco Lindor followed with a sacrifice fly to score Taylor, giving the Mets a 3-1 advantage.
Milwaukee chipped away at the deficit in the fifth inning when Brice Turang led off with a double and scored on Perkins’ sacrifice fly, cutting New York’s lead to 3-2. That set the stage for the Brewers’ eighth-inning comeback, which was ignited by Chourio’s second homer and capped by Mitchell’s game-winning shot.
The Brewers will now attempt to make history by becoming the first team to rally from a Game 1 loss to win a best-of-three Wild Card Series since MLB adopted this playoff format in 2022. The series finale on Thursday night promises to be a tense affair as both teams battle for a spot in the next round of the postseason.