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Some players are born with an edge that separates them in the brightest moments. Milwaukee Brewers rookie outfielder Jackson Chourio delivered not once but twice during Milwaukee's Game 2 win over the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card Series. It was incredible to watch as the 20-year-old seized the opportunity in the biggest at-bats of the season.
Chourio launched a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning, tying the game after the Mets scored in the opening frame. He then started the bottom of the eighth with another homer, tying the game at three and sparking a three-run inning for the Brewers.
The moment wasn’t too much for Chourio, who's lived with lofty expectations all season. He's lived up to the hype every step of the way.
“I think the adrenaline is still getting to me,” Chourio said through an interpreter, per Bradford Doolittle of ESPN. “It was a very special moment for me, and it’s one I’m going to look back on and remember for the rest of my life.”
Chourio recorded two hits in his playoff debut in the two-hole Tuesday, scoring once and driving in a run in an 8-4 Brewers loss. He was lifted to the top of the order in Game 2. He'll probably stay there after becoming the second-youngest player in MLB history with multiple home runs in a playoff game.
Youngsters deliver for Brewers in must-win scenario
The Wild Card Series is tricky to navigate, especially for the team that loses Game 1. The Brewers had their backs to the wall in an elimination game. It was players without experience in the MLB playoffs who carried them to a victory.
Garrett Mitchell entered the game as a pinch runner and earned an at-bat in the eighth inning. The third-year pro hit a go-ahead home run, his first playoff hit, to send the Brewers to a Game 3. 24-year-old Brice Turang has five hits in two games, three of them doubles, and three runs scored.
Milwaukee's young core is making an impact as a whole, but it starts and ends with Chourio. His Game 2 heroics could be just the beginning of a portfolio of memorable playoff moments.
“He’s unbelievable, man,” Brewers shortstop Willy Adames said, per Tyler Kepner of The Athletic. “That guy’s crazy. We just told him, I said, ‘Man, I’m proud of you, the way that you’re showing up this postseason. Twenty years old, you’re a kid, and you’re going out there and performing when we need you the most.’ That’s something — I think he was just born with it.”
Jackson Chourio's bat was enough to propel the Brewers to one playoff victory but they are in the same spot they were Wednesday entering Game 3 Thursday. Milwaukee faces elimination at home and will want to get off to a good start after trailing early in the series' first two games.
Perhaps Jackson Chourio can help the cause and replicate what he did at the plate in Game 2. If the Brewers stay in it, the MLB playoffs could quickly become the Chourio Show.
