What Pat Murphy and his players cited as a key reason for their Game 1 dominance

When the Chicago Cubs defeated the San Diego Padres in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series on Thursday, and earned an opportunity to play the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, fans of both NL Central rivals knew what was in store. For two squads whose stadiums are less than 90 miles away from each other and frequently compete in heated regular season matchups, a series in October seemed only to be that much crazier.

One of the biggest concerns around the Milwaukee fanbase was the impact that playing their I-94 rivals would have on the team's home-field advantage. Throughout the regular season, Cubs fans will plan their trips to American Family Field well in advance, paying whatever price necessary to experience the renowned Johnsonville Sausage Race or hear the sweet voice of Bob Kozlowski from guest relations serenade the crowd with his beautiful rendition of God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch.

Therefore, given the Chicago faithful's apparent love for Milwaukee and American Family Field, the message among Brewers fans after they learned of their NLDS opponent was clear: hold on to your tickets and at the very least, if you do sell them, make sure they end up in the hands of Brewers fans.

As the crowd filled in on Saturday afternoon, it quickly became apparent that the Milwaukee faithful had stuck to their plan, and as a result, the Brew Crew enjoyed the true home-field advantage that they earned throughout the regular season.

Pat Murphy and his players comment on the role that Brewers fans played in their Game 1 win on Saturday afternoon

Brewers fans' dedication to ensuring that Cubs fans didn't have access to tickets for Game 1 of the NLDS did not go unnoticed. From fans and reporters in American Family Field citing a roughly 85%-15% split of Brewers to Cubs fans to Pat Murphy complimenting his team's fans in his post-game interview, it's clear that Brewers fans played an important role in yesterday's win.

"Difference-makers." That's how Murphy described the Brewer faithful on Saturday afternoon. Despite a leadoff homer from Cubs first baseman Michael Busch, the crowd did not go away, but rather, they were ignited, knowing that there was a lot of game left to play, and the action was just getting started.

From the first pitch that Cubs' starter Matthew Boyd threw, the Brewers fans were on him, thanks in part to the ambush approach that the Milwaukee hitters took against the veteran southpaw. In the blink of an eye, the Brewers hit three-straight doubles and snatched the lead out from Chicago's clutches. The second of those three doubles, which tied the game at 1-1, came off the bat of Brice Turang, who also praised the crowd for their impact during yesterday's NLDS opener.

As captured by Hunter Baumgardt of 97.3 The Game, during Turang's post-game interview, the Brewers' second baseman said that he heard nothing but Brewers fans in the crowd yesterday, hinting that the Cubs fans’ presence could not be felt on the field.

For a team that put together the best regular season in franchise history, not having a true home game would have been a travesty. However, on Saturday afternoon, Brewers fans did their part. They showed up and they were loud when the team needed it.

Now the pressure is on to repeat that same strategy on Monday night. Hold on to those tickets or make sure they end up in the right hands. It certainly did not go unnoticed on Saturday afternoon, and as explained by Murphy, Turang, and several other Brewers, it had a big impact on the team's morale. The postseason is just beginning, Brewers fans, and our job is far from complete.