Calling the Pen: Chourio’s clutch hit for Brewers is his Delmon Young moment; Small ball big for Rays

The stadium was shaking, maybe more than it ever did before. The hit was clutch, and perhaps a bit unexpected. October 4th, 2026 in Milwaukee? Or October 3rd, 2014 in Baltimore?

In both cases, the fans celebrated in a way that won’t be forgotten. The postseason produces moments that outshine those that happen in the regular season. It produces heroes who live on in our memories.

For the Orioles, it was pinch-hitter Delmon Young. For the Brewers, it was budding star Jackson Chourio. For fans of their respective teams, the hits will remain unforgettable.

“It’s still the loudest roar I think I’ve ever heard in real life,” said catcher Caleb Joseph,  who was in the on-deck circle. “And I’ve been to playoff football games, playoff hockey games. It was a moment you are never going to forget in terms of the energy. It felt like the stadium was moving because so many people were excited about what was going on.”

Orioles manager Buck Showalter could have chosen to allow left-handed hitting Ryan Flaherty to hit against Tigers right-hander Joakim Soria with the bases loaded, one out and the Orioles trailing, 6-4, in bottom of the eighth in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. But Showalter liked the 29-year-old Young’s experience.

“Delmon knew the pitchers in that bullpen. I remember him saying, ‘Let’s get to the bullpen, boys. If we get to the bullpen, we got a chance,'” first base coach Wayne Kirby said. “He knew who he was going to face. He was our best hitter off the bench. It’s almost like he visualized doing what he did.”

The Tigers’ starters were Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and David Price. Young knew the Orioles’ best chance of victory was against the bullpen and his bases-clearing double — with J.J. Hardy sliding in just ahead of the tag with the third run — led the Orioles to a thrilling 7-6 win and a series sweep.

“Going into that series, against that tough lineup, all those Cy Young [winners], it was just a chilling moment,” Kirby said. “Once we won that game, we knew we were going to move on.”

It remains to be seen if Chourio’s hit will propel the Brewers to a series win over the Padres, but this was playoff drama at its best. Unlike the Tigers in 2014, the Padres’ best pitcher, and the best closer in the game, is Mason Miller. He needed three more outs to give the Padres a 3-2 win and even the best-of-five series.

Garrett Mitchell grounded to short to start the bottom of the ninth. Christian Yelich, who nearly delivered a key hit in the seventh, worked a walk. Sal Frelick also walked, bringing the fans to their feet. After Andrew Vaughn flied to center for the second out, former Oriole Gary Sánchez walked to load the bases and another former Oriole, Joey Ortiz, replaced him as a pinch-runner. Two outs, bases loaded and the 22-year-old Chourio coming to the plate.

American Family Field was rocking with expectation. Chourio swung through a 100-mph fastball to start the at-bat. After a ball, he swung through a 102-mph fastball. Miller threw another fastball, this one at 103-mph, and Chourio fouled it off. He wasn’t late on any of Miller’s fastballs despite their velocity. After taking a slider, Miller threw a 101-mph fastball that Chourio lined to center field. Two runs scored, and the Brewers had a walk-off win against Miller and the Padres to go up, 2-0, in the best-of-five series that resumes Tuesday night in San Diego.

As Ben McDonald likes to say, it was good, old-fashioned baseball — your best against my best — and Chourio won this round, just as Young did for the Orioles back in 2014. Young’s game-winning hit wasn’t as dramatic in terms of  a showdown — it came on the first pitch — but the result was just as exciting, and effective.

“We were like, ‘Delmon is going to swing at the first pitch,’ and he did,” closer Zack Britton said. “We just knew it. This was his signature moment.”

It was also the signature moment for Chourio in his young career.

“I’m very happy, happy that I could come through with a hit there,” Chourio told Fox Sports reporter Tom Verducci through a translator. “I got my family in the stands, so I dedicate this one to them. I was just happy to do it. I don’t have words for this.”

The hit said it all.

Feeling the pressure: The Yankees dismissed the Red Sox in the wild-card series in impressive fashion, outscoring them, 18-2, in two games. They’re now facing elimination as Tampa Bay went up, 2-0, in the best-of-five AL Division Series on the strength of a four-run fifth that carried the Rays to a 5-2 win Monday night. The rally came after the Rays escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the inning when Cody Bellinger’s bid for a grand slam came up just short of the center-field wall.

Jonathan Aranda led off the bottom of the fifth with single to right off New York ace Cam Schlittler. Junior Caminero followed with a double to right center to put runners on second and third. It was small-ball time, and the Rays excel at that.

With the Yankees’ infield drawn in, Liam Hicks hit a ground ball  to second baseman Jazz Chisolm, who was positioned on the dirt instead of the grass and threw out Hicks at first as Aranda scored to break a 1-1 tie. Chandler Simpson followed with a bouncer to rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr., who dropped the ball as Caminero scored to make it 3-1. After a strikeout, Lombard made a throwing error on a ground ball by Jonny DeLuca, and Brooklyn born Richie Palacios finished off the Yankees with a two-run single to center to make it 5-1. The Rays put the ball in play, the Yankees committed four errors, and Ben Rice’s two home runs weren’t enough as the series heads to New York for Game 3 on Wednesday. Former Oriole Bryan Baker, who has become a dominant closer with the Rays, earned his second save.