Padres Beat Brewers to Avoid Elimination, Box Score Stats, Highlights, Updated MLB Playoff Bracket

San Diego defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in Tuesday's Game 3 of their National League Division series at Petco Park. Milwaukee still leads the series 2-1, but the Padres now have momentum thanks to timely hitting and clutch pitching.

Jake Cronenworth launched a homer, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. each notched an RBI, and the shorthanded bullpen got the job done to preserve the season.

A return home was an opportunity for the Padres to put two shocking losses behind them and work toward a potential comeback. It seemed as if they were going to take the lead in the ninth inning of Game 1 when Ty France launched a deep fly ball with a man on base that may have cleared the fence, but it hit the roof and fell into Jackson Chourio's glove for an out.

As if that wasn't difficult enough, San Diego had the lead in the bottom of the ninth in Game 2 just for star closer Mason Miller to blow a save.

A quick start to move on seemed paramount, and the home team got just that thanks to small ball in the third inning. Samad Taylor singled, stole a base, advanced on a bunt and scored on Tatis' RBI ground out before Jackson Merrill singled, stole a base and scored on Machado's RBI single.

Milwaukee chased Padres starter Nick Pivetta from the game after 4.1 innings with William Contreras cutting the deficit in half with a solo homer and Chourio tying it with a sacrifice fly that featured aggressive base running from Cooper Pratt.

With Brewers starter Dustin May already unable to record an out past the third, it was a bullpen game the rest of the way. Bullpen games typically favor the Padres on paper, but they were without Miller because he was placed on the paternity list.

Unlike the first two games, it was San Diego that responded in the pressure-packed moments Tuesday.

Cronenworth broke the tie with a solo homer in the fifth, while Xander Bogaerts provided some breathing room when he singled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error from Pratt in the sixth.

Still, putting away the Brewers is never easy. Bradgley Rodriguez escaped with runners on second and third in the sixth, but he gave up an RBI single to Christian Yelich in the seventh before striking out Garrett Mitchell to avoid more damage.

With Miller unavailable and questions looming about Adrian Morejon's availability, San Diego turned to Game 2 starter Michael King in a stunning development.

All he did was pitch a scoreless eighth and remain in the game to close the door in the ninth by inducing a double play from Yelich.