Padres vs. Brewers: 2026 NLDS

The Padres knocked out the Cubs, and now the road goes through Milwaukee. Here’s everything on the 2026 National League Division Series against the Brewers — game times, how to watch, tickets for the two games at Petco, and how these two teams got here.

Padres vs. Brewers NLDS Schedule

The NLDS is a best-of-five. As the NL’s top seed, Milwaukee hosts Games 1, 2 and 5. Petco Park gets Games 3 and 4 — and Game 3 is the only guaranteed Padres home game of the round, so if you want to see October baseball downtown, Tuesday is the one.

• Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 3 — 5:30 PM PT at American Family Field (FS1)
• Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 4 — 1 PM PT at American Family Field (FS1)
• Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 6 — time TBD at Petco Park (Get Tickets)
• Game 4 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 7 — time TBD at Petco Park (Get Tickets)
• Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 9 — time TBD at American Family Field

Win three, and the Padres move on to the NLCS against the winner of the Dodgers’ Division Series. NLCS Game 1 is Sunday, Oct. 11.

What Time Is the Padres-Brewers Game? (How to Watch)

Every NLDS game is on national TV — FOX or FS1 — so you won’t find the Padres on Padres.TV or the local channel you watched all season. Here’s the rundown, all times Pacific:

• Game 1 (Sat., Oct. 3): 5:30 PM PT on FS1
• Game 2 (Sun., Oct. 4): 1 PM PT on FS1
• Game 3 (Tue., Oct. 6): Time and network TBD — FOX or FS1
• Game 4 (Wed., Oct. 7, if necessary): Time and network TBD — FOX or FS1
• Game 5 (Fri., Oct. 9, if necessary): Time and network TBD — FOX or FS1

MLB sets times for later games as the round plays out, often just a day or two ahead. We’ll update this page as soon as they’re announced.

What Channel Is FS1?

FS1 is a cable channel, not over-the-air, so you need a cable or satellite package or a streaming service that carries it. If a game lands on FOX instead, that’s FOX 5 in San Diego, and a basic antenna will pick it up for free.

How to Stream the NLDS Without Cable

• FOX One: FOX’s own streaming service carries every NLDS game on both FOX and FS1. It runs $19.99 a month, there’s a free trial, and you can cancel after the Padres’ run is over.
• Live TV streaming services: Sling, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV all carry FOX and FS1. Check that your plan includes FS1 — some cheaper tiers don’t.
• Already have cable? Log in with your TV provider on FOX One or the FOX Sports app and stream for no extra cost.
• MLB.TV won’t help. Postseason games aren’t on MLB.TV, even if you’ve been streaming the Padres there all year.

Spanish-Language Broadcasts

FOX Deportes carries the NLDS in Spanish on TV and FOX One. On the radio, the Padres’ Spanish broadcast is on XEMO 860 AM (La Poderosa).

Listen on the Radio

The Padres radio call is on 97.3 The Fan, or stream it through the Audacy app. It’s a solid move if you’re stuck in traffic heading home for a 1 PM Sunday game in Milwaukee.

Watch With Other Padres Fans

In past postseasons, the Padres have opened Gallagher Square at Petco Park for road-game watch parties on the giant videoboard, with cheap admission and proceeds going to the Padres Foundation. Keep an eye on padres.com for Games 1, 2 and 5. Otherwise, the bars around Petco in the Gaslamp and East Village will be packed for every pitch.

Padres vs. Brewers NLDS Tickets

Here’s the honest version: tickets through the Padres are about gone. Season Ticket Members got the NLDS presale, it’s over, and the team says single-game seats are extremely limited. For most fans, resale is the realistic route.

• Game 3, Tuesday, Oct. 6 at Petco Park: Get Game 3 Tickets
• Game 4, Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Petco Park (if necessary): Get Game 4 Tickets

A few things to know before you buy:

• Game 3 is the safe bet. It’s happening no matter what. Game 4 only gets played if neither team has won the series by then.
• “If necessary” means exactly that. If the Brewers sweep or the Padres win the first three, Game 4 never happens. Check your platform’s refund policy before you buy.
• Sweep scenarios move prices. If the Padres split in Milwaukee, Game 3 prices will jump. If they lose both, you might find a deal — on a game they have to win.
• Tickets are digital. Everyone in your group needs their ticket loaded in the MLB Ballpark app before you get to the gate.

For the full rundown on presales, Season Ticket Member priority and where to buy, see our Padres playoff tickets hub.

Getting to Petco Park for Games 3 and 4

Two weeknight playoff games downtown means traffic and garages that fill up early. Book parking before you leave the house, or skip it entirely.

• Game 3 Parking: Find Parking
• Game 4 Parking: Find Parking

The trolley drops you right at the ballpark and is the least stressful way in on a playoff night — see our trolley to Petco Park guide. Before you go, check the bag policy and plan to get there early. Petco on an October night is something you don’t want to miss the start of, especially in the Western Metal building and the Park at the Park.

The 2026 Brewers

Milwaukee finished 103-59, the best record in franchise history and their first 100-win season. It’s their fourth straight NL Central title and fifth in six years, and they locked up the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. Pat Murphy is the manager — yes, the same Pat Murphy who managed the Padres on an interim basis in 2015 after Bud Black was fired.

The Brewers don’t do it with a giant payroll. They do it with deep pitching, good defense, and a lineup that wins close games. They put up some silly numbers this year, too: a 22-0 win over Seattle in August, and a 20-0 shutout of the Reds to clinch a playoff spot in September.

The knock on Milwaukee is October. They’ve had great regular seasons before and come up short. Last year they beat the Cubs in a five-game NLDS, then got swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS. The franchise is still looking for its first World Series title, and its only pennant came back in 1982, when the Brewers were still in the American League.

American Family Field

The Brewers play at American Family Field, which opened in 2001 as Miller Park and took its current name in 2021. The big selling point is the fan-shaped retractable roof, which means no rainouts in a Wisconsin October. It’s also a loud building when it’s full, and playoff crowds there run north of 42,000.

If you’re making the trip for Games 1 or 2, Milwaukee’s tailgating culture is the real deal — the parking lots fill up hours before first pitch. Inside, watch for the Famous Racing Sausages in the middle of the sixth and Bernie Brewer going down his slide after a Brewers home run. Hopefully you don’t see that last one much.

Padres vs. Brewers in 2026

The Padres won the season series 4-2.

• May 12: Brewers 6, Padres 4 (at Milwaukee)
• May 13: Padres 3, Brewers 1 (at Milwaukee)
• May 14: Brewers 7, Padres 1 (at Milwaukee)
• Aug. 10: Padres 3, Brewers 2 (at Petco Park)
• Aug. 11: Padres 11, Brewers 2 (at Petco Park)
• Aug. 12: Padres 4, Brewers 3, 11 innings (at Petco Park)

The August sweep at Petco came right in the middle of the Padres’ late-season surge. In the middle game, Luis Rengifo hit a grand slam against the team that had released him seven weeks earlier. In the finale, Jackson Merrill tied it with a sacrifice fly in the 11th and Luis Campusano won it with a two-out single.

Padres-Brewers History

This is the first time the Padres and Brewers have met in the postseason. Milwaukee spent its first three decades in the American League before moving to the NL in 1998, so this has never been a classic rivalry. But there are plenty of San Diego connections:

• Trevor Hoffman finished his career in Milwaukee and recorded his 600th save as a Brewer in 2010.
• The Josh Hader trade in 2022 sent the All-Star closer to San Diego. Milwaukee got Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet, Esteury Ruiz and Robert Gasser in return, and Gasser is still on this year’s Brewers staff.
• Pat Murphy, now the Brewers’ manager, finished out the 2015 season as the Padres’ interim skipper.

Padres in the NLDS

1996: Swept 3-0 by the Cardinals.

1998: Beat the Astros 3-1, on the way to the World Series.

2005: Swept 3-0 by the Cardinals.

2006: Lost 3-1 to the Cardinals.

2020: Swept 3-0 by the Dodgers in the Texas bubble.

2022: Beat the 111-win Dodgers 3-1, clinching at Petco Park.

2024: Lost 3-2 to the Dodgers after leading the series 2-1.

More Padres Matchups

• Padres vs. Dodgers
• Padres vs. Giants
• Padres vs. Rockies
• Padres vs. D-Backs
• Padres vs. Mariners
• Padres vs. Angels
• Padres vs. Yankees