SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — With the specter of a sweep looming and their quest for postseason home-field advantage on the line, the Milwaukee Brewers turned to a combination of timely hitting, strategic pitching, and a game-saving defensive play to secure a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday evening at PETCO Park.

In a tense, pitching-dominated contest witnessed by 41,462 fans, the NL Central champion Brewers (96-63) leaned on their bullpen and a clutch seventh-inning hit from Brice Turang to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the playoff-bound Padres (87-72). The win reduced Milwaukee’s magic number to one over the Philadelphia Phillies for clinching the best record in the majors and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

The game’s tone was set in the very first inning. After the Brewers were held scoreless in the top half, San Diego threatened immediately against Milwaukee starter Chad Patrick. Luis Arraez singled and Gavin Sheets walked, bringing Xander Bogaerts to the plate with two outs. Bogaerts launched a deep fly ball to center field that appeared destined for the stands, but Jackson Chourio tracked it to the wall, timed his leap perfectly, and robbed Bogaerts of a three-run home run, keeping the game scoreless.

“That play by Chourio was a game-saver right out of the gate,“ the play would have been described by observers, setting a defensive standard that would define the afternoon.

Both starting pitchers settled into a duel after the early drama. San Diego’s Dylan Cease was overpowering at times, striking out eight over five innings, but he was matched by a committee approach from the Brewers. Patrick, in a brief start, tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out six. Erick Fedde took over and navigated into the sixth inning.

The deadlock was finally broken in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Turang singled and came around to score when Andrew Vaughn laced a double down the left-field line, giving Milwaukee a 1-0 lead.

The Padres responded in the bottom of the sixth. After Fedde recorded two quick outs, Jackson Merrill connected on a solo home run to left field, his 16th of the season, to tie the game at 1-1.

Milwaukee immediately reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh against reliever Jeremiah Estrada. Danny Jansen led off with a single, but was erased on a Christian Yelich double play. Chourio, the defensive hero, then became an offensive catalyst, singling to keep the inning alive. Turang followed by drilling a sharp line drive to center field, scoring Chourio from first base to put the Brewers ahead 2-1.

San Diego mounted its most serious threat in the bottom of the seventh against reliever Jared Koenig. Xander Bogaerts and Ryan O’Hearn hit back-to-back singles, and a sacrifice bunt from Bryce Johnson advanced both runners into scoring position with only one out. The Brewers then turned to Nick Mears, who intentionally walked Jake Cronenworth to load the bases. Mears rose to the occasion, striking out Freddy Fermin looking on a full-count pitch. He then induced a fly ball from the dangerous Luis Arraez, which Chourio calmly tracked down in center field to end the inning and preserve the slim lead.

“That bases-loaded jam was the ballgame,“ would have been the consensus, as Mears’ escape act deflated the Padres’ rally.

Milwaukee added an insurance run in the ninth when Danny Jansen launched a solo home run to left field, his 13th of the year, making it 3-1.

Abner Uribe entered to close the game in the bottom of the ninth and was dominant, striking out two Padres batters in a perfect inning to secure his sixth save of the season.

Aaron Ashby, who recorded the final out of the seventh inning, was credited with the win, improving to 5-2. Adrian Morejon, who was on the mound for the go-ahead run in the seventh, took the loss, falling to 13-6.

The Brewers’ victory halted a two-game skid and provided a crucial rebound after being outscored 12-4 in the first two games of the series. For the Padres, the loss snapped a two-game winning streak as they continue to fine-tune for the postseason.

The game, which took 2 hours and 50 minutes to complete, defied pregame expectations. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a high-scoring 7-6 affair, but the pitchers controlled the action, resulting in a combined total of four runs, well under the over/under line of 8. Despite the low score, the contest was packed with pivotal moments, from Chourio’s early web gem to Mears’ high-pressure escape.

Both teams now head into their final series of the regular season. The Brewers return home to Milwaukee to host the Cincinnati Reds for a three-game set beginning Friday, while the Padres will remain at PETCO Park to welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game weekend series.