3 Brewers who need to step up for Milwaukee in Game 5 tonight

After the Milwaukee Brewers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the National League Division Series against their hated NL Central rivals, the Chicago Cubs, two losses at Wrigley Field evened the series at 2-2 with a winner-take-all Game 5 on the horizon.

Returning to American Family Field for one of the most important games in franchise history, the Brewers have several players who need to step up in order to send the team to their third NLCS appearance in franchise history. These three players proved what they are capable of with impressive performances during the regular season, but since postseason play has begun, their impact has been felt far less.

As such, here are the three players on the Brewers roster who need to improve from their current NLDS performances in order for Milwaukee to pull out the win in tonight's crucial Game 5 matchup.

1. 2B Brice Turang

Brice Turang was one of the Brewers’ best hitters during the 2025 regular season. A second consecutive quantum leap led to the 25-year-old second baseman slugging 18 homers and collecting 81 RBI to go along with a .794 OPS in 156 games.

However, since the postseason has begun, Turang is an abysmal 2-16 at the plate, good for a .125 batting average and an OPS of .364. He got off to a hot start in Game 1, lacing an RBI double into the right-field corner in his first at-bat, but his bat has cooled off considerably since then.

Pat Murphy has continued to move Turang around in the batting order as a result, with him batting second, third, and even cleanup during the four-game stretch. It sounds as if Murphy will return to his Game 1 and 2 lineup for tonight's win-or-go-home matchup, meaning Turang will find himself in the two-hole once again, where he will have the added responsibility of protecting Jackson Chourio in the batting order.

2. 3B Caleb Durbin

Caleb Durbin's regular season performance came as a surprise to many Brewers fans. After starting out very slowly at the plate, Durbin turned things around in impressive fashion, finishing the season with 11 homers and 53 RBI, while maintaining a respectable .721 OPS.

However, that performance has yet to carry over to the postseason, where Durbin has collected just two hits, one in Game 1 and another in Game 3. With each hit being just a single, Durbin has not impacted the game in the way that Brewers fans hoped the scrappy, hard-nosed third baseman would when October baseball rolled around.

On top of that, Durbin's usually steady defense at the hot corner faltered in Game 4. Sure, each of the two plays that he missed with errant throws to first baseman Andrew Vaughn were difficult plays to make, but Brewers fans have come to expect excellence from Durbin at third base after his impressive defensive performance throughout the regular season. For the Brewers to win tonight, they need some production from their third baseman at the plate, the steady defense that he's shown throughout the season, and maybe even a stolen base from the speedy Durbin. The 25-year-old rookie has never shied away from a challenge to this point, so there's no reason to expect him to do so now, when the lights are brightest.

3. SS Joey Ortiz

Noticing a trend here? The Brewers' infield group has not performed well in October, but that narrative can be put to bed with one stellar performance tonight. One player who could defy expectations with a big hit tonight is Joey Ortiz. There's no denying it was a tough regular season for Ortiz, whose .593 OPS nearly made him unplayable despite his incredible defense at the shortstop position.

That lack of production at the plate has carried over into the postseason. Ortiz is just 2-10 with an even worse .533 OPS through the first four games of the NLDS. Both of his hits came in Game 2 at American Family Field on Monday night, but outside of that, he's been shut out at the plate.

Pat Murphy isn't asking much from his glove-first shortstop, continuing to put him in the final spot in the batting order, but an extra-base hit in tonight's game, paired with the exceptional defense that Ortiz has continued to play, would be a huge boost for Milwaukee, and quiet much of the criticism that has fallen upon the Brewers' shortstop this season.